Description

1869-71. Pair of adjoining 2-storey, 2-bay end terrace townhouses in classical style with prominent tripartite window; ground falling away to S revealing basement to rear.. Sandstone ashlar. Banded base course; band course at 1st floor with narrow banded cill course above; corniced eaves course. Moulded architraved and corniced doorways with panelled timber doors and fanlights. Bevelled architraved tripartite windows at ground and 1st floors to right, corniced at ground floor.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: squared and snecked sandstone with stugged ashlar dressings. Regular fenestration.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Double-pitched roof, piended to gable; grey slates. Sandstone skews and moulded skewputt to right (NW). Bevelled and corniced ashlar ridge and end stacks with some clay cans. Cast-iron rain-water goods. Low stugged, squared and snecked wall with droved copes and gate rybats edging gardens to street, topped with cast-iron railings incorporating decorative cast-iron lamp standard with large bowl shade.

INTERIOR: (selection of interiors seen 2010) classical decorative scheme characterised by intricate plasterwork and large drawings rooms. Decorative cornicing throughout, some ceiling roses, large marble fireplaces to principal rooms; stone stairs with well-detailed cast iron balustrade and timber handrail, topped by large cupolas with decorative plasterwork beneath.

Statement of Interest

49 and 51 Ann Street is a well detailed pair of terraced townhouses forming a later Victorian conclusion to the design of Ann Street which is an outstanding example of early 19th century urban planning. 49 and 51 Ann Street echo the plain classical detailing of the earlier phases of the street with a design with carries across the cornice and cill courses from the adjacent terminal terrace block. The design also demonstrates characteristic later Victorian detailing through the use of tripartite windows. These townhouses are an integral part of Edinburgh's New Town, which is an outstanding example of classical urban planning that was influential throughout Britain and Europe.

The terrace was originally designed as a key part of the development of the land of Sir Henry Raeburn, and is an early example of classical urban planning in Edinburgh. The design exploits a prominent site at the top of the steep slope up from Stockbridge. Henry Raeburn was born in Stockbridge and acquired the house and grounds of Deanhaugh through marriage, before adding adjacent land at St Bernard's. He occupied St Bernard's House until his death in 1823 when it was demolished to accommodate the growing residential development of the estate, making space for the eastern side of Carlton Street. The authorship of James Milne for the whole development is not certain, but the elevations for the principal streets bear the characteristic features of his designs elsewhere, such as Lynedoch Place (see separate listing) where the street fronting gardens found on Ann Street are also used. The design of Ann Street was originally intended to be replicated elsewhere in Raeburn's development, with three similar parallel streets, but this plan was later revised to the current layout sometime after 1824.

(List description updated at re-survey 2012).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17792407

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
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  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
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  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)