28, 29, 30, 31 Queensferry Street, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Robert Reid, 1810, with later additions and alterations. 2-storey and attic, 34-bay asymmetrical terraced tenement, comprising advanced 9-bay central pavilion, advanced terminal pavilions, 4-bay to left, 3-bay to right, and pair of bow ends at Nos 23 and 39, with shops at ground. Broached ashlar sandstone, painted at Nos 23 to 27 and Nos 32 to 36, at bow ends and at 14 Randolph Place. Cill course at 1st floor, corniced eaves course and blocking course at 1st floor. Central wallhead panel at No 14 Randolph Place.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION, CENTRAL PAVILION: 9-bay central pavilion (Nos 28-31) comprising 9-panel timber common stair door to right of centre, with rectangular fanlight; architraved shop front to left, with dentilled cornice and decorative consoles, modern plate glass windows and door; shop front to right with rendered base course, recessed modern plate glass door flanked by plate glass windows and returns; architraved shop front to outer left, with dentilled cornice and decorative consoles, comprising decorative multi-pane windows on panelled base course, swept-in to modern glazed doorpiece; modern corniced shop front to outer right angled in to left, comprising plate glass window and door; regular fenestration in bays at 1st floor, with blind window at centre.

BLOCKS FLANKING CENTRAL PAVILION: 2 linking blocks, 7-bay to left, 6-bay to right. Linking block to left of centre pavilion comprising architraved and corniced doorpiece with panelled timber common stair door and 2-pane rectangular fanlight to left of centre; 3-pane plate glass shop window with dentilled cornice to outer left; corniced shop fronts with decorative consoles at centre and right of centre, with modern plate glass windows and glazed doors; regular fenestration in bays at 1st floor. Linking block to right of centre pavilion comprising corniced 3-bay shop front at centre, with tiled base course, modern glazed door to right, modern plate glass windows to remaining bays; steps up to 4-panel timber door with plate glass rectangular fanlight to left; 2-bay shop front to right with modern glazed and plate glass window angled in to left; 2-bay corniced restaurant front to outer left (Pizza Express, Malcolm Fraser Architects, 1997) with plate glass window swept in to recessed glazed door at left; 6-panel timber common stair door with blind rectangular fanlight to outer right. Altered at 1st floor; 5-light casement window to left, window in bay to outer right, irregularly-spaced windows in remaining bays with geometric glazing pattern, comprising small-pane casement panels at centre with plate glass panes above and below.

TERMINAL PAVILIONS: advanced terminal pavilion to left (Nos 23 and 24) comprising dentilled corniced shop front at ground including bow end, with advanced doorpiece with decorative consoles to right of centre, with modern 4-panel, 2-leaf timber door with 6-pane glazed upper panels and 8-pane rectangular fanlight, modern 3-pane window to left of centre; 2-panel timber door with 6-pane glazed upper panel and 4-pane rectangular fanlight, to outer right; regular fenestration in bays at 1st floor, blind to outer left and right. Bow end to outer left with polished angles, comprising 3 modern 3-pane windows; 3 windows in bays at 1st floor, blind at centre. Advanced terminal pavilion to right (Nos 38 and 39) comprising modern shop front to left, with 2-pane plate glass windows and returns flanking glazed door with plate glass rectangular fanlight; modern tiled shop front to right, including bow end, with plate glass windows flanking glazed door with plate glass rectangular fanlight, canted plate glass window to bow end; windows in bays at 1st floor and at bow end with 2-leaf louvered timber shutters.

N (RANDOLPH PLACE) ELEVATION: 2-storey, attic and basement, 3-bay elevation, becoming 14 Randolph Place, comprising 6-panel, 2-leaf timber common stair door with 6-pane rectangular fanlight in bay to left at ground; blind windows in bay to right at principal and 1st floors, blind sunken window to right at basement. Adjoining terrace to left, see separate listing (10-13 Randolph Place).

E (CHARLOTTE LANE) ELEVATION: much altered 5-bay random rubble gable with droved ashlar dressings, comprising modern multi-pane timber door with glazed upper panels, centred at ground, flanked by irregularly-spaced barred windows, modern timber common stair door with 3-pane rectangular fanlight to outer left, barred window to outer right; irregularly-spaced windows in bays at 1st floor, except at outer left, pair of windows at attic, blind 5-light window to outer left at attic.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: part-obscured by much altered single-storey and attic former coach house, comprising restaurant front (rear of Pizza Express) with 5 plate glass sliding windows centred at ground; glazed segmental-arched slapping to outer right; modern louvered timber door to left; modern tripartite window to outer left; modern casement windows to 5 irregularly-spaced gabletted dormers breaking eaves at attic.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slate roofs. Variety of slate-hung dormers, including polygonal piended and tripartite box dormers; dormer at No 38 obscured by vertically-boarded timber gabletted dormerhead with tripartite segmental-arched window with small-pane glazing. Ogee-roofed cupola with modern tripartite window surmounting bow end to right; copper roof and finial by William H Ross, 1909. Some modern skylights; louvered ventilator to rear. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Variety of stacks, including rendered ridge stacks, paired at No 23, wallhead stacks, including pair of shouldered wallhead stacks incorporating lunette windows to principal elevation, rendered gablehead stacks; coped and corniced with circular cans. Coped skews to rear.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1999.

Statement of Interest

Part of the New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. Randolph Place was originally called Charlotte Street.

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