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52 And 53 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh

A Category C Listed Building in Edinburgh, Edinburgh

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Coordinates

Latitude: 55.9481 / 55°56'53"N

Longitude: -3.1916 / 3°11'29"W

OS Eastings: 325683

OS Northings: 673425

OS Grid: NT256734

Mapcode National: GBR 8PH.08

Mapcode Global: WH6SL.YRCH

Plus Code: 9C7RWRX5+69

Entry Name: 52 And 53 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh

Listing Name: 46-55 George IV Bridge, 69-71 Cowgate and 7 Merchant Street

Listing Date: 19 December 1979

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 367524

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB28893

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200367524

Location: Edinburgh

County: Edinburgh

Town: Edinburgh

Electoral Ward: City Centre

Traditional County: Midlothian

Tagged with: Shop Tenement

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Description

Henry Hardy (of Smith and Hardy Partners). 1861. 3-storey and attic, tenement block fronting George IV Bridge with shops to ground, dropping 7-storeys to Cowgate and Merchant Street to rear. Polished ashlar. Stop-moulded arrises. Cornice and blocking course. Broad, shouldered wall-head gables to N and S elevations; round-arched window to centre with flanking stacks incorporated into wall-head, bracketed beneath cornice.. Commercial premises to ground floor to Cowgate and Merchant Street.

Predominantly 4-paned glazing to timber sash and case windows with horns. Slate roof. End and rear wall-head stacks. Coped skews and

Statement of Interest

This three-storey ashlar Classical tenement block provides the E side of the lower end of George IV Bridge with a unified, planned run, acting as a foil to the more elaborate buildings that flank this important streetscape. A further similar block by the well-known architectural practice of Smith and Hardy flanks the Augustine Bristo Church (see separate listing) to the S. Nos 46-55 George IV Bridge uses simple classical detailing to achieve its effect. The shouldered gable at the N end is of particular note, providing an eyecatching terminus to the block, before it falls 7-storeys to the Cowgate below. The 'Buildings of Scotland - Edinburgh' makes reference to the 'Old Flemish' influence of the moulded arrises. George Smith and Henry Hardy were architects to the Edinburgh Improvement Commissioners. Nos 46-55 George IV Bridge are part of a unified run that continues at Nos 31-39 (see separate listing - HBNUM 28892) although interspersed with the St Augustine's Church (see separate listing).

List description updated at resurvey (2007/08).

External Links

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