The Hermitage, 26 Gillespie Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Sir Robert Lorimer, 1898; additions A Lorne Campbell, 1923 and 1927 2-storey and attic approximately square-plan Arts and Crafts house with English and Scottish details. Bell-cast roof, central swept-roof verandah flanked by piend-roofed bays to S, round turret to E, 1923 single-storey extension to NE corner, front door under small shaped gable to W, 2-storey outshot to NW corner, forming entrance forecourt (upper storey added 1927). Honey-coloured Hailes sandstone, harled to rear (originally harled all over). 1st floor jettied out to S and partly to W. Moulded cills to principal elevations.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: off-centre timber panelled door and flanking mullioned window within roll-moulded red sandstone ashlar surround; IN ANGELO CUM LIBELLO inscribed on door lintel; CS 1898 KMS inscribed on window lintel; deep cornice above with carved panel to centre depicting a ship on a sea of hearts; mansard-shaped gable-dormer jettied out above door; flat roofed attic dormer above. Small rectangular red sandstone plaque to outer right depicting the Edinburgh University crest surrounded by foliage inhabited by 3 birds (see Notes). Harled outshot to outer left; 1927 1st floor jettied out with canted bay window to S return; wallhead stack to W.

S (PRINCIPAL/GARDEN) ELEVATION: central red-tiled verandah recessed under swept roof; small decorative carving to centre of verandah lintel; bow window to rear of verandah and half-glazed timber panelled door with leaded glazing to side; 3-light flat-roofed dormer above. Flanking piend-roofed bays with 4-light windows to both floors; 1st floor slightly jettied out.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: tall staircase window to centre; bipartite piend-roofed dormer to attic. Round turret to left; windows at both floors; tapered stack rising between staircase window and turret. Mansard shaped dormer-gable to right with bipartite window at 1st floor; single-storey piend-roofed 1923 "garden house" outshot from ground floor with canted bay window to S elevation.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: composed of 4 irregularly fenestrated blocks. Single-storey section to centre with catslide roof and tripartite dormer at first floor and smaller dormer to attic. Advanced piend-roofed section to right; piend-roofed bay to left with modern glazed back door; rear of ?garden house? to outer left with advanced gable to centre and half-glazed timer-boarded back door.

Predominantly modern double-glazed uPVC windows, in same style as original windows; original timber casements with leaded lights to ground-floor rooms of S elevation, mullion by front door and staircase window. Coped stacks with tall red clay cans. Red tiled roof. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: hall with two arches running through centre of house to staircase (see Notes). Drawing room with fairly plain chimneypiece with decorative cast-iron grate and cushion-moulded hearthstone. Dining room fireplace with tile insets painted with birds; flanking arched alcoves with cupboards below. Double doors between dining room and sitting room. Corner fireplace in sitting room with plain surround; unattached mantelshelf corbelled out from wall with octagonal looking-glass above. Arched alcove to right of fireplace; bookshelves flanking window with cupboards below. Timber staircase with carved vine-motif panels between balusters (see Notes); decorative plasterwork to ceiling. Timber chimneypieces in all bedrooms, some with cast-iron grates; 3 with decorative tile insets. Bedroom in 1927 extension with timber fireplace flanked by eliptical-arched built-in wardrobes. 1923 garden room with arched recess and coved ceiling with decorative vine-motif plasterwork. Cornices to all rooms. Timber panelled doors with brass Lorimer handles throughout.

BOUNDARY WALL AND OUTBUILDINGS: random rubble boundary wall with coped gatepiers. Flat-coped wall dividing garden from drive with decorative wrought-iron gate, possibly by Thomas Hadden. 1927, red-tiled piend-roofed harled garage to NW of house.

Statement of Interest

One of 13 houses that Lorimer built in this part of Colinton at the turn of the twentieth century. The exterior of this house is stylistically similar to Almora, Acharra and Binley Cottage. The carved stonework around the entrance is particularly delightful. Like the other houses that Lorimer built in Colinton, this house is sited and planned so that the principal rooms face South and overlook the main part of the garden, while the less important rooms face East and North. The rooms used by the servants are arranged so that they overlook a yard at the back of the house, thereby keeping the garden private. The house was built for Charles Sarolea, a close relation of the King of Belgium, and Professor of French at Edinburgh University (hence the university crest). The Latin inscription over the front door translates as "In a little nook with a little book" and the initials of Charles Sarolea and his wife are over the adjacent window. The significance of the boat is unfortunately unknown. The interior of this house is also very well detailed. The long arched hallway is similar to the arrangement at Binley Cottage, which was built a year earlier. The dining room fireplace and bookshelves flanking the window in the sitting room are also very typical of Lorimer. The staircase is very similar to that at Almora, 49 Spylaw Bank road. On the other hand, the decorative tiles in the bedroom and dining room fireplaces are quite unusual ? where tiles insets are used in the other Lorimer Colinton houses, they are usually blue and white delft tiles. The tiles in the dining room fireplace are polychrome delft tiles, which were more expensive than the blue and white ones. Lorimer is known to have prefered the polychrome tiles, and used them in his own house in the New Town. The tiles in two of the bedroom fireplaces are Chinese.

Both the extensions have very good interiors; the arrangement of wardrobes flanking the fireplace in the bedroom is very nice, and reflects the arrangement in the dining room. Both the extensions were carried out by Alexander Lorne Campbell, a well-regarded Edinburgh architect who lived in Colinton at 34 Woodhall road and built several houses in the south side of Colinton. This house was originally harled all over.

External Links

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