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Summary

Description

Circa 1850, incorporating earlier fabric (see Notes). 2-storey. 3-bay. Symmetrical piend-roofed plain classical villa with long wing to rear forming T-plan. Coursed stugged sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings; dressed, coursed sandstone rubble to rear. Base course. Broad mutuled eaves. Long and short channelled quoins. Moulded architraves to principal windows; panelled aprons to ground floor; bracketed cills to 1st floor.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: projecting corniced porch to centre; channelled corner pilasters; corner blocks of balustrading remain; modern boarded door; windows to left and right returns. Regular fenestration to bays.

E ELEVATION: single bay E elevation of main block to left: single-storey projecting 3-light stone mullioned window to ground; balustraded parapet forming balcony to single window at first floor. 5-bay elevation of rear wing to right: regular fenestration with plain raised surrounds.

W ELEVATION: W elevation of main block to right: as E Elevation, but balustrade to projecting window damaged; 2 windows above to 1st floor. 5-bay elevation of rear wing to left: irregular fenestration (with some later alterations) to both floors.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay gable end; irregular fenestration to both storeys; broad mutuled eaves.

INTERIOR: plaster mouldings to ceilings of principal rooms. Decorative rooflight to staircase/landing.

Some plate glass in sash and case windows remain; some 12-pane glazing in sash and case windows to rear; most windows boarded up (2002). Graded grey slates. Corniced stacks. Stone skews to rear wing.

LODGE: 3-bay, single storey lodge with advanced gable entrance bay to centre, situated to SE of site.

SERVICE ACCOMMODATION: detached from main house: 2-storey, 3-bay block; dressed snecked rubble; angle quoining; grey slate piended roof. Single storey and attic block attached to E: possibley former coach-house. Random rubble, coped skew to E gable; irregular fenestration to ground floor; single dormer to attic; very ornate bargeboarding to dormer; cast-iron finial.

BOUNDARY WALL: ashlar-coped random rubble; coped and corniced rusticated gatepiers.

Statement of Special Interest

Robert Kirkwood's map of 1817 is the earliest map to cover this area of Edinburgh in detail, and it shows a house on this site named Willow Bank, which is about half the size of the present building. Alfred Lancefield's map of Edinburgh and Leith (1851) shows the house (now called Willow Brae) to have assumed its present size, with the long wing to the rear and gate lodge. The First Edition OS map shows the house to have taken its present shape, with the bay windows to the sides, although a small amount of alteration to rear wing happened later in the century. From this map evidence, it therefore seems likely that the rear wing is older than the main block, and that the main block may be a remodelling of earlier fabric. 20th century use as a clinic involved the construction of buildings in the grounds, most of which have been recently demolished (2002). The house is presently derelict, but will shortly be converted into luxury flats.

Statutory address changed in 2011 following conversion of property in to flats circa 2002.

References

Bibliography

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