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

18 EAST LONDON STREET, GAYFIELD HOUSE INCLUDING BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERSLB29263

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
A
Date Added
22/09/1965
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 25962 74768
Coordinates
325962, 674768

Description

Charles and William Butter, wrights, 1763-65. 2-storey with attic and basement, 5-bay large classical suburban mansion. Rubble built with ashlar margins (originally harled). Windows with projecting cills, lugged architraves, cornices at ground floor to principal elevation. Pediment, eaves cornice.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3 bays to centre slightly advanced and pedimented. Ionic columned doorpiece with modillioned cornice; shouldered architraved timber panelled door; gothic glazing to fanlight at centre, windows to remaining bays, regular fenestration above; Oculus to tympanum of pediment, and urn finials. 2 windows to left and right of basement.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay, curved segmental-headed pilastered porch to centre; blinded window above; regular fenestration to remaining bays.

NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay; windows to centre at each floor, window to left at 1st floor, window to right and blocked windows to left at 2nd floor. Substantial shaped wallhead gable with small round-headed window to centre.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay; windows to centre and right at 1st and 2nd floor. Substantial shaped wallhead gable with small round-headed windows to centre.

Timber sash and case with predominantly 12-pane glazing, grey slated piend and platform roof, gableheaded stacks with terracotta cans, ashlar steps oversailing basement.

INTERIOR: not seen 1998. Contains features of exceptional rarity and uncertain date; papier mache ceilings in vestibule and upper landing and painted floorboards in imitation of mahogany and satinised parquet, probably early 19th century. Geometrical staircase with turned balusters. Fine chimneypieces stolen circa 1990.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: later harled, stepped, boundary walls.

Statement of Special Interest

Charles and William Butter (father and son) built Gayfield House between March 1761 and mid 1764, it was purchased in 1765 by Thomas, Lord Erskine and his wife Lady Charlotte Hope, daughter of the 1st Earl of Hopetoun. It is similar in design to Ross Park, circa 1736, on south side of the Old Town of Edinburgh, and the curvilinear gables follow those at Bankton House, Tranent, of 1720s and Hope House, Edinburgh, circa 1740. The house has managed to remain largely intact despite various tumultuous periods of ownership, it is now sub-divided between basement and upper floors, and privately owned. The house contains two elements of particular exception - the rococo papier mache ceilings and the painted floors to the vestibule, hall and upper landing. Carved wood and gesso chimneypieces were stolen circa 1990.

References

Bibliography

MacRae Heritors 34. RCAHMS Inventory, EDINBURGH 168. Register of Sasines. EDINBURGH EVENING COURANT Feb 22 1775. G Scott-Moncrieff, EDINBURGH pl85; Gifford, McWilliam and Walker, EDINBURGH (1988), p426; McKean, EDINBURGH, AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, 1993, p107. K Cruft, 'Villas in Edinburgh: The Case of Gayfield House' in D Mays (ed), THE ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTTISH CITIES, (1997), p103-14. Floor plans, Hippolyte Blanc, 1870, at SRO, copy at RCAHMS. See SRO GD124.

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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