Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

8 AND 8A-20 (INCLUSIVE NOS) ABERCROMBY PLACE, AND 1 AND 3 NELSON STREET, INCLUDING RAILINGS AND LAMPS WITH NORTHUMBERLAND PLACE LANE AND DUBLIN MEUSELB28211

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Group Category Details
100000019 - See notes
Date Added
18/08/1964
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 25551 74413
Coordinates
325551, 674413

Description

Robert Reid and William Sibbald, 1806-19, with later alterations. 44-bay near-symmetrical terrace with curved frontage, comprising 4-storey and basement, 6-bay central pavilion, flanked by 3-storey and basement, 12-bay linking block to W, 3-storey and basement, 16-bay linking block to E, flanked in turn by 4-storey and basement, 5-bay terminal blocks. Polished ashlar sandstone; V-jointed rustication at principal floor; rock-faced rustication at basement. Band courses between basement and principal floor, principal floor and 1st floor; cill course at 2nd floor; cornice at 2nd floor of central and terminal pavilions, continued as cornice and blocking course to linking blocks; cornice and blocking course at 3rd floors of central and terminal pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement. Lowered cills to 1st floor windows except on terminal pavilions. Mews in Dublin Meuse and Northumberland Place Lane to rear, see below.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central pavilion comprising 4-panel timber door with plate glass rectangular fanlight, centred at principal floor; windows in remaining bays at principal floor, and to floors above. W linking block comprising panelled timber doors in bays 3rd, 4th, 7th and 12th from central pavilion; plate glass rectangular fanlights, except at No 18, with radial rectangular fanlight. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above, with blind window in bay 5th from right, at 3rd floor. E linking block comprising pairs of windows flanked by panelled timber doors; predominantly plate glass rectangular fanlights, with radial rectangular fanlights at Nos 8 and 12. Windows in remaining bays at principal floor; regular fenestration to floors above. Advanced W terminal pavilion comprising round-arched doorpiece centred at principal floor, with 4-panel timber door, radial semicircular fanlight, flanked by windows in round-arched recesses. Regular fenestration to floors above; windows in bays at centre and outer left and right at 1st floor with consoled cornices, blind balustered aprons. Regular fenestration at basement. Wallhead tablet centred at 3rd floor.

S ELEVATION: advanced E terminal block comprising round-arched doorpiece centred at principal floor, with panelled timber door, radial semicircular fanlight, and modern Regency-style porch, flanked by windows in round-arched recesses. Regular fenestration to floors above; windows in bays at centre and outer left and right at 1st floor with consoled cornices, blind balustered aprons. Regular fenestration at basement. Wallhead tablet centred at 3rd floor.

E ELEVATION: 4-storey and basement, 5-bay elevation, formerly 2-6 Dublin Street, comprising regular fenestration to all floors, with blind windows to outer right and penultimate bay to right, at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors; public house (The New Town Bar) at basement, with lying-pane windows. Adjoining terrace to N, see separate listing (26-30 Dublin Street).

W ELEVATION: 4-storey and basement, 5-bay elevation, becoming 1 and 3 Nelson Street, comprising 6-panel timber common stair door with diamond-paned rectangular fanlight, centred at principal floor; regular fenestration at all floors, with blind windows in penultimate bay from right at principal, 1st and 2nd floors, and to outer right at 2nd and 3rd floors. Adjoining terrace to N, see separate listing (5 and 7 Nelson Street).

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows; variety of window guards at 1st floor of central pavilion and linking blocks, except at No 19; window guards spanning 3 bays at Nos 12, 15 (at right) and 17. Grey slate roofs; rectangular dormers to left and right at Nos 10 and 12, 3-bay box dormers at Nos 11 and 14. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Broached and rendered ridge and shouldered wallhead stacks; coped with circular cans.

INTERIORS: pendentived entrance halls at Nos 8-13, by James Gillespie Graham.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and urn finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes.

MEWS:

NORTHUMBERLAND PLACE LANE: earlier 19th century. Pair of 2-storey 3-bay mews buildings. Coursed rubble, with rendered gables.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: mews to left comprising modern timber door and small light to infilled former cart door to left at ground. Modern garage door centred at ground, with stone lintel. 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors to left at ground, with ventilation openings, infilled glazing, and original relieving arch evident above. Single window centred at 1st floor, breaking eaves in piended dormerhead, with brick wallhead stack at right, increasing width of dormer. Modern coursed sandstone retaining wall adjoining at right.

NO 17: mews to right comprising boarded timber door with plate glass fanlight, centred at ground. 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors, with stone lintel, to left at ground. recessed modern garage doors, with stone lintel, to former carriage door opening, to right at ground. Bipartite window with stone mullion to left, window to right, at 1st floor.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs. cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar and rendered wallhead stacks; coped, with circular cans. Coped skews.

DUBLIN MEUSE: earlier 19th century U-plan block of mews buildings. Predominantly coursed rubble with droved ashlar dressings.

S BLOCK: predominantly blank E wall, with window to right at ground, infilled doorway centred at ground. N and W elevations, facing courtyard, comprising 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage door, with stone lintel; irregular fenestration at ground and attic; Velux windows to W. Rendered W gable.

NO 4: 3-storey and attic, 2-bay rendered tower-style former store, with quasi-Mansard roof to W of S block, comprising modern 6-panel timber door in architraved doorpiece to right of centre at ground, to W elevation; windows to left at all floors, velux window; windows at all floors to N gable, including pair of small lights at 2nd floor; regular glazing to rear.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered ridge stacks; coped with circular cans. Coped skews.

Statement of Special Interest

Part of the Second New Town A Group a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain. Abercromby Place was part of the first extension of the New Town promoted by the Town Council, Heriot's Hospital and the Trustees of David Stewart (later George Winton), James Nisbet and Thomas Morison architects and Maxwell Gordon and John Morison, WS. It was planned by Reid and Sibbald in 1802. Building started in 1806 and was completed by 1819. W H Playfair's first Edinburgh residence was at No 17. Nos 15 and 16 were gutted and rebuilt behind their facades, in 1966.

References

Bibliography

Youngson, THE MAKING OF CLASSICAL EDINBURGH (1966), pp207-8, 210; Gifford, McWilliam and Walker, EDINBURGH (1984), p339; McKean, EDINBURGH (1992), pp112-13; MacRae Heritors 38; Register of Sasines.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 10:01