Mews House, 21 Jamaica Street South Lane, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid and William Sibbald, 1802-8. 65-bay near-symmetrical palace block, comprising predominantly four-storey and basement, nine-bay advanced central pavilion, flanked by pair of predominantly three-storey and basement, 21-bay linking blocks, flanked in turn by pair of three-storey and basement, and three -storey, attic and basement, seven-bay terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor, rock-faced rustication at basement. Band course below principal floor; cill course at first floors, and second floors of central and terminal pavilions; cornice at second floor of central pavilion; cornices and blocking courses. Windows corniced at first floor; corniced with consoles in three central bays at first floor of terminal pavilions; window pedimented with consoles to bay at centre at first floor of central pavilion, flanked by windows corniced with consoles, flanked in turn by windows pedimented with consoles. Central and terminal pavilions advanced. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basements. Mews to rear in Jamaica Street South Lane, see below.

South (Principal) Elevation, Central Pavilion: comprising four-storey and basement, three -bay house (number 31) at centre, flanked by three -storey and basement, three -bay house (number 30) to right, four-storey and basement, three -bay house (number 32) to left. Round-arched doorpieces in bays third from left, fourth and third from right; six-panel doors with plate glass and radial semicircular fanlights. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor, with round-arched window recesses in bays at centre and left of centre; regular fenestration to floors above, with window to west return at third floor. Third floor windows at number 32 with cills lowered. Third bay from right advanced, with wallhead panel at third floor; third bay from right advanced with later wallhead panel at second floor. Blind balustraded parapet with panelled dies at number 31, and bays to right and outer right at number 32. Flagged basement area with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars; room under entrance platt to number 32.

Blocks Flanking Central Pavilion: 24-bay linking block to right of central pavilion comprising seven predominantly three -storey and basement, three -bay houses. Doors in bays to right at principal floor; windows in remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration to floors above. Numbers 23 and 25 two-storey and basement; Number 24 three -storey, attic and basement. 21-bay linking block to left of central pavilion comprising seven predominantly three -storey and basement, three -bay houses. Doors in bays to left at principal floors, with door in bay to right at number 35; windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. Numbers 33, 36 and 37 two-storey and basement. Flagged basement areas with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars; room under entrance platt to number 36.

Terminal Pavilions: pair of near-symmetrical, predominantly three -storey, basement and sub-basement, seven-bay terminal pavilions, comprising round-arched doorpieces in advanced central three bays; predominantly six-panel doors with radial semicircular fanlights; glazed doorpiece flanking two-leaf door at number 22. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. Blind balustraded aprons to central three bays at first floors; some balusters removed from bay to third from left of east terminal pavilion; aprons removed and cills lowered to fourth bay from right of east terminal pavilion, and third bay from left of west terminal pavilion. Blank wallhead panels flanked by blind balustraded parapets and panelled dies, spanning advanced central three bays to both terminal pavilions. Flagged basement areas with predominantly vertically boarded timber doors to cellars; half-turn stairs accessing sub-basement; rooms under entrance platts to numbers 20 and 22.

East (2 Howe Street) Elevation: three -storey, attic and basement, six-bay elevation, becoming 2 Howe Street. Regular fenestration to bays at all floors, with blind windows in penultimate bay from left, and third bay from left at principal, first and second floors, and in bay to outer left at second floor. Cornice to window at outer right of second floor. three windows regularly spaced at attic, with projecting cills. Broached ashlar at basement; glazed door centred in three -bay shop front at right, flanked by plate glass windows. Wallhead stack coping depressed in bay to outer right.

West (1-3, Odd Numbers, India Street) Elevation: three -storey, attic and basement, five-bay elevation becoming 1-3 (odd numbers) India Street. Polished ashlar sandstone. Irregularly spaced windows; blind windows in fourth bay from left at principal and first floors, third bays from left at first, second and attic floors; in-filled window to outer right at first floor. Projecting cills to first floor and attic windows. Basement comprising six-bay shop front to left, with two-leaf door in fourth bay from left, windows in remaining bays; blind window in bay to outer right. Flagged basement area.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Pairs of box dormers at numbers 20 and 23; pair of polygonal piended dormers at number 24, single polygonal piended dormer at number 40; pairs of lead-roofed rectangular dormers at numbers 25, 36 and 37; pair of rectangular dormers at number 33. Grey slate M-roofs; Mansard roof to right at east terminal pavilion. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Window guards to first floor windows of numbers 20, 22, 30, 31, 35, 36, 38, 40, 41 and 42, and to second floor windows in three bays to outer left at number 42; window guards to window in bay to outer left at first floor of east (number 2 Howe Street) elevation, and second floor windows of west (numbers 1-3, odd numbers, India Street); balconies spanning bays at first floor windows of numbers 24, 26, 27, 29, 33, 37 and 39; bracketed at numbers 33 and 37. Variety of polished, broached and rendered ridge, wallhead and gablehead stacks; coped with circular cans.

Interiors: not seen, 1997, but some evidence of working panelled shutters. Columnar entrance hall to number 26; pendentived entrance hall to number 32.

Railings and Lamps: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and urn finials. Cast-iron lamps with glass globes.

Jamaica Street South Lane: earlier 19^th century. Row of two-storey mews buildings, with isolated mews building to west. Coursed rubble, with droved and polished ashlar dressings. Not including Flat Roofed Garages that form numbers 25, 27, and 29.

North (Principal) Elevation: variety of vertically-boarded timber garage doors, including two-leaf, multi-leaf folding doors and sliding doors, some with glazed upper panels; with timber and stone lintels. Single storey coach house to left of number 9. Door and window to infilled former carriage door opening at number 11. Windows at attics, including pair of stone dormerheads breaking eaves at number 21, single stone gabled dormerhead at number 31. Modern slapping with timber gate and screen to ground, at number 51. Pair of vertically-boarded timber loading doors to gable of number 55.

Number 59: two-storey mews building, with east principal elevation, comprising modern door and window to former carriage door opening, to left at ground; bipartite window with stone mullion, to right at ground; bipartite window in stone gabled dormerhead breaking eaves, at right. Modern garage block adjoining mews to right; coped random rubble wall, with timber door in pedestrian gate, adjoining mews to left.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Variety of stacks; coped, with circular cans. Coped skews.

Statement of Interest

Part of the Second New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain.

Although Heriot Row's profile has been considerably altered by various additions, the overall sense of the terrace's low roofline has not been lost, and it still retains its original grandeur, increased by its outlook onto the private Queen Street Gardens.

Statutory address changed from 20-42 (Inclusive Nos) Heriot Row, and 2 Howe Street, 1-3 (odd nos) India Street, including railings and lamps with Jamaica Street South Lane to 20-42 (Inclusive numbers) Heriot Row, and 2 Howe Street, 1-3 (odd numbers) India Street, including railings and lamps with 1, 7, 9, 11, 15, 23, 31, 33, 37, 43, 45, 51 and 59 Jamaica Street South Lane and listed building record updated in 2013.

Statutory address changed to 20-42 (inclusive numbers) Heriot Row, and 2 Howe Street, 1-3 (odd numbers) India Street, including railings and lamps with 1, 7, 9, 11, 15, 21, 23, 31, 33, 37, 43, 45, 51 and 59 Jamaica Street South Lane and listed building record updated in 2023.

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