1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Angle Park Terrace, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Probably W F Rollo Wilkie, circa 1889. 5-storey Victorian tenement block. 6-bay to SE (Angle Park Terrace), 4-bay to N (Henderson Terrace), canted corner section to NE; flat-iron plan. Shops and public house at ground floor, flatted accommodation above. Corbelled 1st floor window at corner; corbelled detail to some stacks. Snecked yellow sandstone; red sandstone margins to lugged windows with extending tabs. Red sandstone band course below 1st floor, 4th floor cill course, corniced eaves course and long and short quoins to corner section.

SE (ANGLE PARK TERRACE) ELEVATION: shop windows and doors to left. Entrance door (No 4) to flats above. Pub elevation to right; inset door to private bar; panelled splays to entrance; window to left; 3 large windows to right. 'PRIVATE AND JUG BAR' etched into glazed door panel. Angled cills to ground floor windows; decorative cast-iron railings at lower level of pub windows; 'THOMAS WILKIE INNES WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANT' written above windows. Windows aligned at each bay and storey in tenement above; bipartite window at 1st , 4th and 5th bays; single windows at 2nd , 3rd and 6th bays.

NE (CORNER) ELEVATION: central pub entrance at ground floor; glazed terracotta tiles with black band to entrance lobby floor; panelled timber splays, doors and ceiling; door into pub to right and left; leaded coloured glass above panelling. Painted sign slightly advanced above doorway; lettering 'ATHLETIC ARMS'. Canted bow windows at each floor above; single central window; narrow flanking windows. Cornice and corbelling below 1st floor window; cornice at 1st and 2nd floor; corniced cill course at 1st floor window; plain cill course at 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor windows.

N (HENDERSON TERRACE) ELEVATION: large pub window to left with narrower window to right; repeated arrangement to centre; tripartite window to right. Bipartite window to far right; basement windows below. Windows aligned at each bay and storey in tenement above; single windows at 1st, 2nd and 4th bays; bipartite windows at 3rd bay. Continuous cill course to 4th floor windows.

W ELEVATION: adjoining 4-storey tenement. Partially seen at 4th floor; plain elevation.

SW ELEVATION: adjoining shop at ground and 1st floor. Plain elevation above.

INTERIOR: exceptional and little altered traditional circa 1900 decorative scheme. Terracotta tiles to entrance; linoleum floor elsewhere, inset compass detail by entrance. 2 timber panelled doors from main (corner) entrance with leaded coloured glass panels. Red leather benches line outer walls, broken by advanced timber panelled sections between windows. Tongue and groove timber in window splays. Narrow timber tables on metal legs fixed to floor, in front of bench seats. Semi-island oak bar; flat main bar (formerly bowed); concave bar to W. Timber panels to bar punctuated by fluted pilasters with ogee moulding to top; brass match strikers; timber bar surface; original brass beer taps. Rectangular-plan, corniced timber pillar extends from bar to ceiling to W; bevelled mirrors. Free-standing central oak bar unit (for bottles and glasses); arches between carved angle pilasters with Corinthian capitals; dentilled and corniced frieze. Large timber sideboard behind bar with carved detailing; glazed at rear. Gas gauges and access to cellar to left of sideboard. L-plan private bar area to rear of island bar partitioned off; artificially grained wood with detailing including dentilled cornice and leaded, coloured glass panels. L-plan oak bar with timber and glazed screen above; voluted, fluted pilasters between square glazed panels and open serving hatches. 6 semicircular panels above (to E), (2 to S) with moulded architrave and leaded coloured glass of stylised floral design. Scroll brackets support shelf to rear of screen. Access to bar to S (former jug bar). Further timber panelling to rear of private bar with leaded coloured glass. Benches and tables as in main bar. Back lounge to W; glazed and panelled screen between main bar and lounge with etched glass. Tongue and groove timber dado; benches as in main bar. Brass service bells within dado. Ladies lavatory to N; timber door with leaded coloured glass. Floor to ceiling blue/green tiles. Dentilled cornices to private and main bar, back lounge, gents lavatory and to boxed beams. Festoon motif to private and main bar frieze. Stucco plaster to private bar ceiling and part of main bar, painted red.

Timber panelled, and timber and glazed doors. Some uPVC windows to flats, and timber sash and case windows to flats and pub. Plate glass windows to pub and shops. Pitched roof (not seen, 2002). Gable end stacks to SW and W; raised, flat wallhead; red sandstone cornice and quoins. SE elevation wallhead stack to left; shouldered and corniced. Shouldered and corniced wallhead stack to right; advanced corbelled section. Corniced wallhead stack to far right; advanced to 3rd floor; corbelled detail. Further ridge stacks to N. Numerous clay cans to all stacks.

Statement of Interest

The flat-iron plan form adds interest to an otherwise relatively plain mixed tenement block, the principal interest concerning the public house and its interior. A street corner site was a common location for Victorian pubs and it is the original pub fittings which are of note, especially the timber bar with glazed panels, working beer pumps and the separate jug and private bar. It is a good example of an intact Victorian, working man's pub. William Shaw, builder, sought a warrant to build a tenement of shops and houses on this site. Dean of Guild plans (dated 1.8.1889) by W F Rollo Wilkie of 122 George Street, Edinburgh, show numerous shops on the ground floor with back rooms, extensive cellars and a note that Hailes or Craigleith stone should be used. The actual building differs little from these plans apart from some slight changes to windows and doors. Later plans by Peter L Henderson (also of 122 George Street) for Robert G Brown (dated 7.10.1892) show proposed changes to the windows and doors. In 1896, William Irwin sought permission to make alterations to 1, 2 and 3 Angle Park Terrace (the present Athletic Arms) and insert beams and columns. The plan (dated August 1896) is not ascribed to any architect but his address given is 24 George Street, Edinburgh. This plan shows changes to the windows and the building still seems to be a shop. By 1898 1, 2 and 3 Angle Park Terrace and 20, 21 Henderson Terrace were listed under Thomas Wilkie Innes (wine and spirit merchant) in the Post Office Directory. Well known in sporting circles, the pub has always been called the Athletic Arms, however, it is locally known as The Diggers due to its position between 2 large cemeteries as it was here that the grave diggers would drink. It is possible that Peter L Henderson was responsible for the pub interior as he was a prolific designer of Edinburgh bars, including Leslie's Bar in Ratcliffe Terrace. The door arrangement and semi-circular glazed panels above the bar screen, for example, are features which P L Henderson used in Leslie's Bar.

External Links

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.