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Summary

Description

Circa 1785. 3-storey basement and attic, 7-bay terraced classical block with pair of 2-storey and basement houses flanking tenement stair with pair of double uppers. Craigleith ashlar. V-jointed rustication at ground, polished band to 1st floor moulded cill course, droved above. Steps to principal doorpieces with moulded architraves, frieze tablet and cornice, flanking tenement door with 3-pane letterbox fanlight below blind rectangular fanlight (painted as No 20); all doors flush-panelled; plate glass fanlight to No 19, timber sunburst to No 20. Slate-hung dormers; single piended to left, 2 elegant bowed dormers to right,with bowed glazing, far right tripartite.

Timber sash and case windows; plate glass to 3 left bays, 12-pane to

4 right bays. Grey slates; dressed sandstone mutual stacks (very tall to E); ashlar-coped mutual skews.

INTERIOR:

NO 18: archway from Hall, with simple acanthus cornice, to central horseshoe stair; plain iron banisters. Dining Room with panelled dado, fine gesso chimneypiece (stripped) with fluted pilasters, later cornice; sideboard recess unusually on inner side wall. Tray rest at 1st floor; Drawing Room with panelled dado, simple acanthus cornice, fine gesso chimneypiece with fluted Corinthian pilasters and frieze, with urns and central tableau.

NO 20: similar to above; later glazed screen in Hall, with simple bracketed cornice. Dining Room with panelled dado, simple acanthus cornice, swagged gesso chimneypiece (no recess). Room to rear right with apsidal-ended inner wall, (grained) gesso chimneypiece. Drawing Room with panelled dado, simple cornice and chimneypiece (later ?).

NO 19: flats not seen 1994.

Statement of Special Interest

Sydney Smith lived at No 19. A significant surviving part of the original fabric of Edinburgh?s New Town, one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain; Queen Street was built to take advantage of the northern views, and has survived remarkably unaltered to this day.

References

Bibliography

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