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Summary

Description

Sir Robert Lorimer, 1897, altered 1910, E wing and garage added 1939. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay, roughly square-plan villa with swept roof over central verandah (now glazed in) flanked by 2 large piend-roofed bays. Entrance to E in slightly advanced gable. Cream painted harl with red sandstone cills. Base course to E elevation only. Bays to S slightly corbelled out at first floor.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: off-centre advanced gable with thistle finial containing timber panelled front door with leaded lights to top panel in roll-moulded red sandstone architrave; carved lintel with 1897 interwoven with decorative foliage; single window above. Blind wall to left; windows to right. Advanced 1939 wing to outer right; advanced garage to S return through flat-coped wall with ball finial (see Notes); tripartite window above.

S (PRINCIPAL/GARDEN) ELEVATION: central verandah under swept roof; 2-leaf French doors with side-lights to rear of verandah. Tripartite flat-roofed dormer above verandah. Quadripartite windows to wings; later picture window at ground to left.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: irregularly fenestrated with cat-slide roofed section to outer left. Slightly advanced stack to centre; corbelled out 1-window section to right of stack; staircase window to left.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: single-storey, 3-window section to right with cat-slide roof and flat-roofed dormer in attic. 2-storey section to left with timber boarded back door; small outshot to outer left with steep cat-slide roof.

Predominantly timber casements with leaded lights. Coped rendered stacks with tall clay cans. Red tiled piended roof. Cast-iron downpipes.

INTERIOR: tiled vestibule with half-glazed timber panelled doors opening to hall which runs through the centre of the house; staircase through arch at end of hall with pained turned timber balusters and polished timber handrail; some decorative plasterwork to staircase ceiling. Plain roll-moulded sandstone fireplace to drawing room with corniced mantelshelf; bookcases flanking main window. Advanced chimney breast in dining room; roll-moulded red sandstone fire surround with delft tiles to hearth and back of fireplace; plaster mantelshelf and picture frame above; brass bell to right of fireplace. Recessed shelves flanking chimney breast with cupboards below. Sliding doors linking dining room and drawing room. Study (former smoking room) fireplace with roll-moulded sandstone surround and decorative wrought-iron grate. Original fireplaces with cast-iron grates to some upstairs rooms. Original bells in kitchen. Original downstairs lavatory with mahogany seat and "Patent Silent Edina" cistern; original corner basin with brass taps. Timber panelled interior doors with brass Lorimer handles. Plaster cornices to most rooms.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group with numbers 21, 23, and 40 Pentland Avenue, 3 Spylaw Avenue and 21 Gillespie Road (21 Gillespie Road is in Baberton Ward). Built as an investment by Lorimer's aunt, Miss Guthrie Wright. Like most of the houses that Lorimer built in Colinton, much attention has been paid to its planning. Lorimer felt that houses should ideally be approached from the North, and if this was not possible (as here, and Westfield cottage next door), he placed the approach close to the boundary wall. The house is in the NE corner of the plot thereby creating the largest possible area of garden in front of it, which is overlooked by the principal rooms and bedrooms. The bathroom, staircase and less important bedrooms face East and West, and the rooms used by the servants all overlook the rear courtyard, thereby making the garden relatively private. The house was originally built with a small service courtyard to the east, which was screened from the front door by a wall. When the garage and E wing were built in 1939, the screen wall was retained, and now forms the entrance wall of the garage.

The first owner was Lord Pearson, an eminent barrister who was Lord Advocate of Scotland in 1891-2 and 1895-6, and was made a judge of the Court of Session in 1896. The present owner (2003) is his grandson. This house and its neighbours, Westfield, 40 Pentland Avenue and Acharra, 3 Spylaw Avenue, were built at the same time on a group contract by the builder Nathaniel Grieve. Binley cottage cost just under #1600 to build.

References

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