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

9-24 (INCLUSIVE NUMBERS) LEARMONTH TERRACE, INCLUDING RAILINGSLB29247

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
12/08/1965
Supplementary Information Updated
04/12/2019
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 24041 74294
Coordinates
324041, 674294

Description

John Chesser, 1874. 3-storey and basement terrace of townhouses in Free Renaissance style with advanced 4-bay terminal blocks and prominent 2-storey, 3-light bays, bowed at ground floor, canted at 1st floor with bowed 1st floor balustrade. Sandstone ashlar; droved at basement. Entrance platts oversailing basement. Banded base course; moulded cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors. Corniced consoled eaves course with balustrade above between sandstone ashlar dormers with alternating round arched and triangular pediments. Large doorpieces with paired foliate console brackets flanking narrow architraved sidelights; timber 6-panel doors, rectangular fanlights; cornice and balustrade over. Moulded architraved windows to bowed bay at ground and 1st floors. Moulded architraved 1st floor window, bracketed with round arched pediment. Moulded architraved windows at 2nd floor (tripartite above canted bay) with bracketed cills. Moulded architraved windows to dormers.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 5 storeys. Coursed squared sandstone rubble with some ashlar quoins cills and rybats. Roughly regular fenestration with some 3-storey 3-light canted bays to E and later attic storey to Nos. 10, 11, 12. Tall rectangular dormers set into steep mansard roof to right (W). Some boundary walls, sandstone ashlar with moulded copes.

E (SOUTH LEARMONTH AVENUE) ELEVATION: roughly 4 bays set on ground falling to left, with slightly advanced angled terminal bay to left (N); advanced single storey porch to right (S) with channelled ashlar pilasters and broad bowed bay above. Porch integrated with boundary wall and steps to far left (S). Pedimented dormers at attic (bipartite to far left (N) integrated with balustrade and shouldered wallhead stack. Tripartite windows to left (N) terminal bay. Moulded architraved surrounds at ground floor, bipartite window to advanced porch; doorway in re-entrant angle with rectangular fanlight. Pedimented windows at 1st floor, triangular to far left (N) and semicircular to centre; bowed bay to right (S). Moulded architraved surrounds at 2nd floor with bracketed cills.

W (END) ELEVATION: 3 bays, 3 storeys over basement. Set on ground falling away to N. Advanced balustraded bay to centre rectangular ground floor, canted at 1st floor. Moulded cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors; corniced consoled eaves course; prominent wallhead stacks. Blind windows to flanking bays. Moulded architraved windows, bracketed at 1st floor with round arched pediments. Tripartite window to centre at 2nd floor flanked by 2 blind windows all with bracketed cills.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof; grey slates. Corniced ashlar gable end and ridge stacks; some octagonal some modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Cast-iron railings edging basement area to street.

INTERIOR: characterised by highly decorative late Victorian classical scheme with intricate cornices by MacGibbon and Ross. Large entrance vestibules with deep cornice and tiled floors, predominantly timber dog-leg stairs, topped by large cupolas with decorative plasterwork beneath. Highly decorative plasterwork and some large marble fire surrounds to ground and 1st floor drawing rooms. Compartmented ceilings with elaborate cornicing to E and ribbed Jacobean designs to W. Arched Corinthian pilasters to No. 24. Later conversion to flats throughout terrace.

Statement of Special Interest

Learmonth Terrace is a prominent and boldly detailed classical crescent and makes a significant contribution to the streetscape. Each section of the terrace is terminated by slightly advanced terminal bays. The terrace is part of the continued development of the West End of Edinburgh in the later 19th century after the completion of the nearby Dean Bridge (see separate listing). The interior scheme for numbers 9 ' 24 was designed by MacGibbon and Ross from 1877 onwards. Initially they were working for the Leith Heritages Company and then later for the builder George Gilroy.

The terrace was built by John Chesser for Colonel Learmonth as part of his wider development of lands in this area. Learmonth had played a major part in the funding of the nearby Dean Bridge (see separate listing). The construction of the bridge placed his land on what became a main thoroughfare into and out of the City of Edinburgh and made his developments much more valuable. The feu plan drawn up by Chesser originally covered a much larger area of Learmonth's estate, but only Learmonth Terrace was built to this design. Learmonth was also the Lord Provost of Edinburgh during this period. Unlike the earlier phases of the New Town the terraces of the Dean estate were exclusively of individual affluent family houses with lavish Victorian detailing. Changing social circumstances in the 20th century have led to a degree of alteration and adaptation.

John Chesser began his career as a master of works on the Ravesby Estate in Lincolnshire, before replacing his father in the same post on the Dalmeny estate. By 1852 he was working for David Cousin in the office of the superintendant of works in Edinburgh, and through this office he may have secured his post as superintendant of works for Herriot's Hospital. By the time he came to design Learmonth Terrace his free Renaissance style was fully developed. Many of his terraces are characterised by the use of large bay windows, and particularly by the combination of rectangular and canted storeys.

List description revised as part of resurvey (2009).

References

Bibliography

Ordnance Survey, Large Scale Town Plan (1893-4); J G Bartholomew, Plan of Edinburgh and Leith, from Survey Atlas of Scotland, (1912); J Gifford, C McWilliam, D M Walker, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh (1988) p. 399; Richard Roger, The Transformation of Edinburgh: Land, Property and Trust in the Nineteenth Century (2004) p. 248; www.scottisharchitects.org.uk (accessed 17/9/2008).

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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