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Summary

Description

John Baxter of Portobello, circa 1827. 2-storey with basement, 5-bay classical house with single storey pavilion bays, bowed at rear. Polished ashlar, deeply channelled to ground; squared sandstone to side elevations and to rear (snecked); droved ashlar to basement and flanking pavilions. Band course between basement and ground, also between ground and 1st floor; cill course to 1st floor; cornice, blocking course.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 6 steps with original cast-iron handrails to deep-set Edinburgh panelled door in bay right of centre; plate glass rectangular fanlight above; window at 1st floor above. Windows to each floor of flanking bays. Windows to basement (blinded in bay left of centre). Windows to each of pavilions and boarded doors to extreme outer sections of pavilions (access to garden).

S (REAR) ELEVATION: windows to each floor in 1st, 3rd and 5th bays including basement; 2nd and 4th bays blank except corbelled turrets at 1st floor. Windows to each of bowed pavilions.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows to principal elevation (3 windows to left of door at ground with frosted glass); 12-pane timber sash and case windows to rear. Grey slate piended roof; graded slate candlesnuffer roofs to rear with ball finials; piended roofs to wings, large 19th century vent. Ashlar coped wallhead stack to front, W elevation, rendered and coped wallhead stack to rear. Rendered and coped wallhead stacks to front and rear of E elevation.

INTERIOR: heavy cornice and panelled ceiling to vestibule, round-arched niche; tripartite timber glazed vestibule door; cast-iron banister; good plaster work (including ceiling roses); coloured border-glazed staircase window; original white marble chimneypiece to 1st floor drawing room; encaustic tiles to vestibule and hall; original shutters in place.

BOUNDARY WALLS: droved ashlar with coping, formerly with railings, at front, original cast-iron gateposts to drive in place at 2 entrances. Tall rubble garden walls to rear.

Statement of Special Interest

The house is the largest in East Brighton Crescent and was built for the colonel of the army. It first appears on maps in 1856 (Sutter's map), along with its neighbours No 9-10 and Nos 7-8. At the turn of the 20th century the house was converted into a convent and it was only returned to domestic use in 1986. This house is a very fine example of John Baxter's work in Portobello and has an important position in the local history of the area.

References

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