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

24-32 (INCLUSIVE NOS) CHARLOTTE SQUARE, 13-19 (ODD NOS) HOPE STREET AND 14 AND 16 SOUTH CHARLOTTE STREET WITH RAILINGS, LAMP STANDARDS AND BOUNDARY WALLSLB28505

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Date Added
03/03/1966
Supplementary Information Updated
28/11/2018
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 24679 73758
Coordinates
324679, 673758

Description

Robert Adam, 1796-circa 1810. Symmetrical 3-storey basement and attic 27-bay neo-classical palace block formerly consisting of 9 houses entered from the front and tenements entered from either end. Polished cream sandstone ashlar (W pavilion stonecleaned). Rock-faced basement; V-jointed rustication at ground floor with impost course where appropriate; cill course to 1st and 2nd floors (excepting pavilions); cornice and blocking course.

S (CHARLOTTE SQUARE) ELEVATION: slightly projecting 7-bay centrepiece with engaged tetrastyle portico flanked by paired columns, breaking forward again; balustrades between column bases; windows at 1st floor in round-arched recesses alternate with circular plaques; carved and fluted frieze with blank panel at centre; balustraded parapet framed by festoons. End pavilions broader spaced with pilasters to upper floors; Venetian windows in round-arched recesses at ground; at 1st floor, balustraded windows, tripartite window in round-arched recess at centre and flanking windows with consoled cornices; solid parapet with festoon at centre; pyramidal roof. Inner bays arcaded at ground. Tripartite doors with variety of radiating fanlights at centre of centrepiece and pavilions (W pavilion with door blocked as window) - thence every 3 bays moving outwards.

W (HOPE STREET) ELEVATION: 5-bay; 3 N bays built out at ground to suit with Venetian window at centre, and doorway to S return. Shouldered chimney gable with thermal attic window containing pair of arched windows (1 blind); incongruous box dormer to right.

E (SOUTH CHARLOTTE STREET) ELEVATION: 8-bay. Plain door to centre right bay, also formerly to 3rd from left bay (platt now removed and door filled as window); 4 blind windows to upper floors. Shouldered chimney gable with thermal attic; pair of tripartite box dormers to left.

REAR ELEVATION: dressed rubble. Bowed bays to Nos 27, 28 and 29; extensions and alterations. Houses generally 2-bay with large 1st floor window to left.

Timber sash and case 12-pane windows; some plate glass to rear. Grey slates, ashlar coped skews; corniced ashlar stacks.

INTERIORS: No 25 gutted. Nos 26, 27 and 28 savagely united circa 1970, and also knocked through to No 25. Nos 27 and 28 had been joined by W H Beattie circa 1900 with new timber balustrade to 1st floor, mosaic pavement to hall, and much timber panelling; marble chimneypiece with fluted Ionic columns and rams? heads; stair to No 27 removed, both cupolas survive, with pendentives supporting domes and skylights, with Greek key friezes. Mostly fairly plain but good early 19th century interiors. Nos 29 and 30 with slappings through, thoroughly refurbished for office use, 1995; stairs with cast-iron brackets and tray rests, cupolas with pendentives supporting domes and skylights. No 29 with panelled dado, black slate chimneypiece and sideboard recess to former Dining Room; former Drawing Room with fine original white marble chimneypiece to former Drawing Room with Islamic brass grate and tiles and panel of Ceres, plaster frieze and double doors to Rear Drawing Room with plainer similar chimneypiece with reeded frieze and pilasters. No 30 with large mid 19th century grey marble chimneypiece with marble hearth and tiled inserts to former L-plan Drawing Room.

No 32 united with 14 and 16 South Charlotte Street.

RAILINGS AND LAMP STANDARDS: cast-iron spearhead railings and original lamp standards.

BOUNDARY WALLS: some rubble boundary walling survives to rear.

Statement of Special Interest

The square was designed in 1791, and the first house completed in 1794. Douglas Haig was born at No 24 on the 19th June 1861, and Alexander Graham Bell was born at No 16 South Charlotte Street on the 3rd March 1847.

References

Bibliography

RCAHMS INVENTORY no 140. MacRae Her 17. BOOK OF THE OLD EDINBURGH CLUB XXIII. Bolton THE ARCHITECTURE OF ROBERT AND JAMES ADAM (1927). A J Youngson THE MAKING OF CLASSICAL EDINBURGH (1966) pp93-7. Gifford, McWilliam and Walker EDINBURGH (1988) pp293-7.

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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