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Summary

Description

1790-1800. Classical, near-symmetrical semi-detached L-plan villa with single / 2-storey rear jamb (see Notes) and columned doorpiece; 4-bay, 2-storey and attic principal elevation. V-jointed smooth rustication to ground floor; polished ashlar above (coursed and random rubble with droved quoins and margins to side; droved ashlar to rear). Predominantly regular fenestration.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: steps up to timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight with radiating glazing pattern; doorpiece of detached Roman Doric columns supporting entablature. Dividing band between ground and 1st floor; cill band to 1st floor; eaves cornice; blocking course. 2 later tripartite dormers to roof.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: recessed elevation of rear jamb to left; gable-end of main block to right. Timber-panelled door with multi-pane fanlight to far right of jamb; window to left to ground floor. To gable-end, window to left to ground and 1st floor; smaller window to left and right to attic floor. Eaves course to jamb and return of gable-end.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: single storey, single bay, slightly recessed section with bipartite window to left. To right, adjoining, 2-storey elevation with shallow projecting bow to centre; tripartite window to ground floor; Venetian window to 1st floor; eaves course.

GLAZING etc: predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; 4-pane glazing to bipartite window to rear and centre section of tripartite and Venetian window; plate glass glazing to flanking lights and window to left of side elevation; plate glass glazing in timber top hung upper casement and fixed lower frames to dormers. Slate haffits and piended slate roofs to dormers; cupola to roof to rear. Pitched roof to main block and single storey rear section; piend roof to rear jamb; graded grey slate; stone skews and skewputts. 1 rendered, corniced gablehead stack to SE gable; rendered corniced ridge stack to NW; circular cans to both stacks.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: enclosing front garden, rendered wall with droved coping, surmounted by spear-head and urn finialled cast-iron railings; to centre, pair of panelled and corniced ashlar gatepiers; single rendered pier with pyramidal coping to outer left corner.

Statement of Special Interest

The simple elegance of this small house emphasises its importance as an early example of the semi-detached suburban villa in Edinburgh. It also has streetscape and historical value as an element of the Gayfield estate development.

It is possible that 4 Gayfield Square was designed by the architect Alexander Laing; an advert in the Edinburgh Evening Courant in 1791 proclaimed that Laing was selling a villa in Gayfield Square, but did not specify which one. In 1820, Laing himself was living at 6 Gayfield Square (see separate List description). It therefore seems likely that Laing designed at least one, and possibly all, of the villas on the south side of Gayfield Square.

The rear jamb is formed of two early extensions to the original rectangular-plan villa which were added between 20 and 50 years after the original building.

4 Gayfield Square forms part of the Gayfield Estate, so called because it stands on the former grounds of Gayfield House (East London Street; 1763-5, still extant; separately listed Category A). These lands were feued by the solicitor James Jollie from 1785. Building began on either side of the drive to the house; the building line on the SW of Gayfield Square marks the edge of the drive. These developments began to establish the form of Gayfield Square, which forms the heart of the estate. It was part of Jollie's plan from the beginning that this should be so; in January 1783 he advertised that the Gayfield grounds were to be feued for building purposes 'according to a plan.' His advertisment promised prospective feuars 'remarkably pleasant' rustic situation and 'uncommonly beautiful views' in addition to 'the privilege of the area of the square'. Sasines record that '..the area of Gayfield Place [is] to remain an open space for all time coming.'

References

Bibliography

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