Latitude: 55.937 / 55°56'13"N
Longitude: -3.2097 / 3°12'34"W
OS Eastings: 324529
OS Northings: 672209
OS Grid: NT245722
Mapcode National: GBR 8KM.B7
Mapcode Global: WH6SS.N1SG
Plus Code: 9C7RWQPR+Q4
Entry Name: 20 Bruntsfield Avenue, Edinburgh
Listing Name: 4-20 Bruntsfield Avenue, Edinburgh
Listing Date: 3 February 1993
Last Amended: 17 July 2015
Category: C
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 405419
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB26725
Building Class: Cultural
ID on this website: 200405419
Location: Edinburgh
County: Edinburgh
Town: Edinburgh
Electoral Ward: Morningside
Traditional County: Midlothian
Tagged with: Tenement
SW (BRUNTSFIELD AVENUE) ELEVATION: each block comprising of full-height canted windows in outer bays; single windows in bays to centre; door to common stair in central bay; corbelled wallhead stack above; 4th floor windows with either shaped or pedimented dormerheads (except Nos 16 and 18 where 4th floor windows flank wallhead stack with scrolled shoulder above). Exceptions: Nos 20 1st and 2nd floor cill course with diamond-shaped label-stops. Nos 4 and 6 paired doors off centre in bay left of centre, 1st and 2nd floor cill course; incised lintels to 2nd floor windows; wallhead stack with moulded coping bracketted from above 2nd floor; oval concave panel in gabled dormerheads. Nos 8 and 10 and Nos 12 and 14 paired doors off-centre in bay right of centre, 1 door in bay left of centre; at ground floor single window off-centre in central bay; Nos 8 and 10 wallhead stack with moulded coping; Nos 10 and 12 cope missing. Plate glass timber sash and case windows, slate mansard roof, wallhead and mutual stacks (see above); moulded eaves gutter.
INTERIOR: not seen 1992.
Low boundary walls, cast-iron railings remain at Nos 8, 12, 14a and 18.
The period between 1860 and 1900 saw significant residential expansion in the city of Edinburgh with construction of a number of residential tenement suburbs.
B Group with Nos 15-19 Montpelier, 22-26 Bruntsfield Avenue and Nos 158-174 Bruntsfield Place and 2 Bruntsfield Avenue. The terrace was built in four stages, Nos 4 and 6 with the adjoining corner block in 1887, No 20 in 1888 with the opposite corner block, Nos 16 and 18 in 1889 and finally Nos 8-14 (even) in 1890. The design and detailing of the elevations echoes the respective corner blocks of the terrace (see group above), all designed by Calvert and built by John Oliver and thus forming a homogeneous town planning exercise.
Corner tenement blocks appear on Johnstons' plan of Edinburgh, Leith, Portobello and environs, 1888.
The completed tenement scheme is visible on Bartholomew's Plan of Edinburgh and Leith with Suburbs of 1891-92.
Edward Calvert (1847-1914) was a Middlesex born architect, who designed exclusively domestic architecture. He is known only as having practised in Edinburgh where his work included large villas in Merchiston. He designed a number of tenements in Marchmont between 1878 and 1890.
Listed building record and statutory address updated (2015). Previously listed as '4-20 Bruntsfield Avenue'.
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