Description

George Washington Browne, 1891. 2 storeys to Belford Road and 5 storeys to Bell's Brae on site falling steeply to N. Roughly 5-bay, irregular-plan Tudor style studio house with free Tudor interior, now subdivided into 3 offices and single residential dwelling to Belford Road (2008). Crenellated and pyramid roofed central entrance tower; deep bracketed eaves. Advanced gabled and barge boarded bay to left (W) of tower with half timbered glazed upper storey; single storey block to far left (W). Coursed random rubble, red sandstone dressings. Deep red stucco base course imprinted with letter H, eagles and thistles. Red sandstone cill course at 1st floor; band course to tower. Canopied entrance doorway with large curvilinear timber brackets. Bipartite and tripartite windows at ground and 1st floor; continuous round arched windows to half timbered bay.

REAR ELEVATION (BELL'S BRAE): roughly 12 bays, 5 storeys with lower 5-bay block to E, tile hung at 1st floor. Crenellated sandstone tower on mock machiolation to centre with half timbered bays and small bartizan to right (W). Coursed rubble; red sandstone ashlar to tower and bartizan; timber and stucco at 3rd floor. Banded string course at 2nd floor. Tripartite mullioned studio window to gable at 3rd floor. Moulded timber surrounds to half timbered bays at 3rd floor; arcade of studio windows in tall round arched surrounds at 4th floor.

E ELEVATION: roughly 4-bay, 2-storey to Belford Road with ground falling steeply to N. Slightly advanced gable to S with canted timber bay off-centre at ground floor. Moulded string course at 1st floor. Irregular fenestration with tripartite window to left of centre (S) at ground floor.

W ELEVATION: irregular elevation, advanced single storey block to right (S). Small rectangular dormers flanking tall wallhead stack. Irregular fenestration.

INTERIOR TO BELFORD ROAD: free Tudor interior; originally a single dwelling with separate accommodation in lower storeys to Bell's Brae. Now converted into offices (2008). Principal entrance leads into timber panelled hall with large fireplace to right (E), open plan to panelled studio at rear with large leaded windows giving onto balcony. Similar room above on 1st floor with addition of small room to NE corner in turret. Some strapwork ceilings on both ground and 1st floor with circle, diamond and vesica motifs. Small tiled (possibly 17th century Flemish) alcoves at 1st floor to S rooms. Some cast-iron and brick fire surrounds throughout with timber mantels; some painted.

Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case, with distinctive geometric leadwork to timbered gables and 1st floor windows to S façade. Pitched roof of grey slates with clay ridge, pyramidal to central tower with wrought-iron weathervane. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

A well detailed picturesque studio house designed for Martin Hardie RSA (1858 - 1916) making clever use of the steeply sloping site. The design is an excellent response to the site with a striking juxtaposition of elements to the S elevation and large windows high up on the elevation facing N to provide the ideal lighting for an artists studio. The substantial building beneath on the N side (fronting Bell's Brae) was possibly not built as part of the Browne scheme but on behalf of James Stewart as stabling for his cab business which he ran from the Dean Bridge. There were later unspecified alterations made to the house in the 1920's by various architectural practices including Peddie Walker and Todd. The building replaced the tollbooth which had stood on the site when what is now Belford Road was the main route to Queensferry prior to Telford's Dean Bridge (see separate listing).

Sir George Washington Browne (1853 - 1939) was a prolific architect and was a highly competent designer in a number of styles, from the neo-Jacobean of Drumsheugh Toll to Edwardian Renaissance in his later works such as The Caledonian Hotel (see separate listing). He established independent practice in 1885 after a short time as a partner with Wardrop and Anderson. Shortly afterwards, in 1887, he won the competition to design Edinburgh Public Library After moving into partnership with Dick Peddie in 1897, he built a large neo-Jacobean house called The Limes in Blackford Road confirming his skill with the style he used at Drumsheugh Toll, it was later in the course of this partnership that Browne began to move towards Edwardian Renaissance designs.

(List description revised 2009 as part of re-survey.)

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17811332

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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  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
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  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
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  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
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  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
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  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)