Latitude: 55.9471 / 55°56'49"N
Longitude: -3.1857 / 3°11'8"W
OS Eastings: 326048
OS Northings: 673312
OS Grid: NT260733
Mapcode National: GBR 8QH.6L
Mapcode Global: WH6SM.1S86
Plus Code: 9C7RWRW7+VP
Entry Name: 2, 4, 6 Nicolson Street, Edinburgh
Listing Name: 2-22 (Inclusive Nos) Drummond Street and 2-6 (Even Nos) Nicolson Street
Listing Date: 29 April 1977
Category: B
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 367066
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB28671
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Edinburgh, 2, 4, 6 Nicolson Street
ID on this website: 200367066
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: Southside/Newington
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Architectural structure
Circa 1790 (16-21 Drummond Street by Robert Burn ' see Notes). 5-storey, basement and attic, large residential and commercial tenement block. 30-bay to principal (N) elevation with broad, shouldered wall-head gables to outer bays; pair of wall-head gablets towards centre with piended dormers between. Ashlar with raised cills. Band course between ground and 1st floors; cill course at 2nd floor. 6-bay to Nicolson Street elevation; 5-bay to Roxburgh Place elevation.
FURTHER DESCRIPTION: Timber pilastered shop fronts and commercial premises to ground at 2-15 Drummond Street and 2-6 Nicolson Street with curving decorated timber pilaster to NW corner and 20th century shallow canted infill window to 1st floor. Commercial premises at No 14 Drummond Street with tall 2-leaf timber panelled door, fluted-pilasters, panelling and dentiled cornice. Segmental-arched pend to immediate left. Ground floor windows in recessed round-arched panels to bays at Nos 16-22 Drummond Street with over-sailing steps to main entrances with simple classical door surrounds and large fanlights; cast-iron railings.
12-pane glazing to timber sash and case windows. Slate roof. End stacks. Coped skews and skewputs. Clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.
INTERIOR: public house at No 14 Dummond Street has elaborate cornicing and some timber panelling.
Nos 2-22 Drummond Street is a refined and little-altered externally example of a large and unified Classical style 18th century tenement block, running from the corner of Nicholson Street to the corner of Roxburgh Place. Its imposing mass and refined detail add interest to the streetscape within a critical area of the South Side.
Nos 2-6 Nicolson Street, along with Nos 8-16 date from late 18th century. The section of the street immediately to the South of this had been developed not long before on ground belonging to Lady Nicolson. In 1785, the South Bridge Act paved the way for a new bridge to be built as a link between the Old Town and the newly developing area South of the City. This bridge was to join the new Nicolson Street to the North Bridge. Lady Nicolson's old house, which stood close to the site of this tenement was demolished in order to make the link as straight as possible. The South Bridge was opened for traffic in 1788 and it is thought that these tenements were constructed shortly afterwards.
List description updated at resurvey (2007/08).
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