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Summary

Description

Probably John Lessels, 1870-74. Extensive classical terrace, comprising unified facade of 3-storey with attic and basement townhouses with main-door and common stair flats behind; with later attic additions, later ashlar attic storey to No. 47a. Slightly advanced 4-bay centre section and 3-bay end block to N, (angled at corner). Similar 3-bay return to Rothesay Place, with cast-iron balconies at 1st floor. (S block part of separate listing). Basement area to street including some vaulted cellars and retaining walls. Sandstone ashlar, droved ashlar at basement, channelled ashlar at ground floor. Entrance platts oversailing basement. Base course; banded cill course at 1st floor; String course between windows to corner blocks. Banded cill course to 2nd floor, brackets at windows to centre. Corniced eaves course. Stepped and balustraded parapet with rectangular corniced ashlar dormers to N corner block (No. 61). Timber 4-panel doors with corniced and consoled round-arched surrounds and plain fanlight. Round-arched keystoned doorways with narrow sidelights to N corner block. Moulded architraved surrounds, pedimented tripartite 1st floor windows. Bipartite windows at 2nd floor (some blind windows to N corner block). Cast-iron balconies on scrolled brackets at 1st floor windows. Later rectangular dormers to No. 61.

Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case. Corniced ashlar gable ridge and parapet stacks with modern clay cans. Double pitch M-section roof; grey slates. Cast-iron railings on sandstone coping stone edging basement recess to street. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: interiors typified by well detailed scheme in classical style with large and highly detailed cornicing. The interior to No. 49 contains highly detailed cornices to the ground and 1st floor rooms, with some console brackets to the corners. Some original fireplaces with open pedimented mantels. Cantilevered dog-leg stair with ornate cast-iron balusters, topped by a large glass cupola with highly detailed cornice beneath and decorative roundel panels to the entablature. Marble plaque dedicating the house to "THOSE TRAVELLERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES BY ENEMY ACTION IN THE WORLD WARS".

Statement of Special Interest

Manor Place is a well-detailed example of the urban design of John Lessels, and contains a number of features characteristic of later Victorian design, such as the pedimented tripartite 1st floor windows. The original design by Brown was carried out very slowly due to the protracted feuing of the land and these later parts of the street were built to Lessels' own designs, in a steady transition away from the Brown designs as you move northwards.

John Lessels (1809 - 1883) was engaged in a number of urban design schemes throughout his career, and worked on other parts of the Walker Estate, notably at Coates Crescent and Melville crescent. He later went on to work for the City Improvement Trust in Edinburgh, and gained a wide experience of residential design with further designs in both the old and new towns of Edinburgh as well as some large commissions such as significant alterations to George Watson's Hospital.

(List description revised 2009 as part of re-survey.)

References

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