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Summary

Description

Edward Calvert, 1887-90. Terrace of 6 tenement blocks with Scottish 17th century detail, 5-storey, 5-bay; cream sandstone, coursed and snecked rubble with ashlar dressings; full-height canted windows corbelled to square in triangular or shaped gableheaded dormers; T-section panelled and corniced wallhead stacks, corbelled from 2nd floor; carved aprons to 2nd floor windows, except Nos 4 and 6); chamfered reveals; roundel or diamond-shaped motifs and horizontal ashlar and rubble banding on wallhead stacks; panelled doors (except Nos 16, 18) with square border glazed fanlights.

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.

Statement of Special Interest

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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