Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Early 19th century. 2-storey, 3-bay classical villa with later flat-roofed broader single storey 3-bay range (built between 1835 and 1852) stretched across principal elevation. E elevation ashlar, remaining elevations square and coursed stugged rubble; later range droved and stugged sandstone ashlar.

ORIGINAL VILLA: cornice on E elevation and continuous narrow band

course on remaining elevations slightly below eaves level. Blocking course and raised tablet over centre bay. Drove rybats and quoins. Raised cills.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: centre bay advanced with segmental-arched recessed panel. Regular fenestration at 1st floor.

S ELEVATION: 3-bay (2-1): off-centre bay fenestrated, cast-iron window guard at 1st floor; 2 blind windows in left bay; windows in right bay blocked, with window inserted out-of-line to right at ground. Brick wall running W adjoined to left.

N ELEVATION: window to left at ground, blind window to right at 1st floor. Coped projection (back of kitchen range?) to right at ground with small boarded aperture to left. Piended brick porch in re-entrant angle of elevation and wing, with door to W and window to N.

W ELEVATION: 2-storey stepped porch addition in centre bay with door to right and window to left at ground with slit above on N return. Window to left at ground, windows in outer bays at 1st floor.

LATER RANGE: returns to clasp villa on N and S elevations. Base course. Cornice and parapet, balustraded on E elevation. Architraved openings.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: tall door at centre with consoled open pediment; double door with 2-leaf panelled outer door and inner door with glazed upper panels and divided fanlight; 2 tall canted windows in outer bays.

S ELEVATION: 2-leaf glazed door with fanlight at centre on S return; concrete repair panels to left.

12-pane glazing pattern in sash and case windows, 8-pane in side lights of canted windows. Stained glass panes (some damaged) with central engraved medallions in upper sashes of canted windows. N and W ground floor windows barred. Grey slates to piend and platform roof. 2 bowed-roof slate-hung dormer windows to E pitch. Large rooflight to W pitch. Corniced wallhead stacks, ashlar to N, rendered and lined to S. Isolated can on top of roof to N. Some original rainwater goods.

Brick lean-to (former dairy) to NE corner of grounds; shop front with door to right, boarded window and wooden fascia ("Fairfield Dairy") incorporated into E wall to Lothian Road. Several polychrome brick buildings in SE corner of grounds, 1 free-standing (former stable?), 2 incorporated into rubble wall at corner; pointed-arched openings. Later brick shed and several rubble buildings adjacent. Stone building (behind polychrome brick building), interior with good plasterwork. Cow byre adjoining.

BOUNDARY WALLS: brick to N, ashlar coped rubble to E and W. Wrought-iron carriage and pedestian gates to NE of E wall; flat-coped wall shaped up to either side. Gate and door in W wall.

Statement of Special Interest

The present outline of the house is shown on the OS Map of 1852-53. Cast-iron washing poles to N. The array of ancillary outbuildings, including the polychromy detailing, and the fine hot house (see separate listing), contribute further to the interest of Fairfield House. The property was restored in 1998 and is currently used as offices by Midlothian Council. A large glazed office block, designed by Michael Laird Partnership, was added to one side at the same time.

Formerly listed under Croft Street.

References

Bibliography

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.