Description

John Chesser, 1869-1871. 3-storey with attic and basement bowed terrace of houses with 2-storey canted bays and end pavilions. Polished sandstone ashlar with polished dressings. Base course; corniced cill course to 1st floor, dentilled, except at left pavilion; cill course to 2nd floor; balustrade to top of canted bays, forming balcony to 2nd floor central windows; cornice; stone balustrade; segmental-arched dormers. Wide, moulded margins to windows; doorpieces to entrances.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: No 21 (3-bay, symmetrical): window to bay to left at basement; part-glazed timber door with small flanking light to return to infilled entrance platt at right; 2 planked doors to return on left side; window to bay to right; consoled triangular pediment to doorpiece to centre of canted central bay; panelled pilasters framing moulded margin; 2-leaf panelled timber door with rectangular fanlight; flanking lights; 3-light canted window to 1st floor above; windows to remaining bays, with consoled cornices at 2nd floor. No 1 (3-bay, symmetrical): window to outer left at basement; raised window to left; window to return to infilled platt at left; door to return at right; window to bay to right; moulded margin to 2-leaf timber entrance door with square fanlight to central bay, with 2 flanking lights, at ground; 3-light canted window to 1st floor above; windows to remaining bays, with consoled cornices at 2nd floor.

Principal (bowed) block: basement of each house consisting of door with fanlight to centre, flanked on either side by window (at left to middle section of canted bay); door and window(s) to return at right to some Nos. Doorpiece to bay to right at ground, comprising Ionic pilasters supporting frieze; 2-pane narrow lights flanking panelled timber door and rectangular fanlight; cornice advanced above doorpiece; consoled cornice and panelled pilasters flanking margins to 1st floor window above; window to 2nd floor; 3-light bay window to ground and 1st floor at left; tripartite window to 2nd floor. Doorpiece to Nos 12, 11 and 10 advanced with engaged Ionic columns flanking margin-framed door and fanlight (astragal glazing pattern to No 10); narrow lights to returns; blocking course to cornice; plain iron railings above forming balcony to 1st floor window above. Door to No 4 converted to window; bipartite window to bay beneath, with part-glazed entrance door with fanlight to bay to left; coped boundary wall at right.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION (NO 21 GROSVENOR CRESCENT): 3-bay, stugged, squared and snecked sandstone; regularly fenestrated (except at basement, all windows at left). Base course; banded cill course at 1st and 2nd floors; cornice forms cill course to attic storey. 2-storey canted bay with cornice and blocking course at left, and lights to each face; single window to 2nd floor above; window to bay to centre and to bay to right at each floor (central window at 2nd floor smaller); 3 closely spaced windows at left of attic storey, gablehead stack at right.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case glazing; astragal pattern glazing to 1st floor, No 13. Grey slate roof; coped, mutual sandstone ashlar stacks (some rendered); wallhead stacks to pavilions; tall and squat cylindrical stacks; pair of segmental-arched dormers to most houses; modern slate-hung addition to attic of No 12; 3 dormers to pavilions, flat-roofed at No 21; cast-iron rainwater goods.

RAILINGS: balustered iron railings to ashlar steps and oversailing entrance platts, and, set in ashlar coping, to street.

Statement of Interest

Part of New Town A-Group. John Chesser was the Superintendent of Works to George Heriot's Hospital between 1858 and 1889. During his term of office large quantities of Heriot's land were feued, including land in the W of Edinburgh. Chesser was responsible for preparing ground and elevation plans for the new buildings. Opulent interiors were designed for many of the houses. Alterations to Nos 11 and 13 carried out 1921.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17808135

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

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  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
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  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
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  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
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  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)