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Summary

Description

John Watherston and Sons, 1855-6. Classical terrace comprising unified faacde of 4-storey and basement townhouses with main-door and common stair flats behind; 2-storey and basement angled block to W with corniced eaves course. Basement area to street including some vaulted cellars and retaining walls. Sandstone ashlar, channelled at ground floor. 2-storey 3-light, corniced canted bays. Banded base course; corniced and banded string course, incorporating doorpiece entablature. Corniced eaves course. Raised and moulded doorpiece, linked to pedimented and architraved 1st floor window above. Moulded architraved surrounds to windows at ground floor of 2-storey block with blank recessed panel beneath moulded cills. Moulded architraved surrounds to canted bays at ground and 1st floors. Corniced cills at 2nd floor with scrolled aprons. Corniced tripartite windows at 2nd floor. 4 shouldered architraved windows at 3rd floor; corniced cills; some bracketed (3 cills removed to No. 6).

W (END) ELEVATION: prominent shouldered wallhead stack to main gable; banded string courses. Single off-centre window at 1st floor to 2-storey block, with recessed rainwater goods to right. 3 banded architraved windows to each floor of gable end, flanking windows blind; small cast-iron balcony at 3rd floor to centre.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 5 storeys, roughly 6 bays. Squared coursed rubble with ashlar quoins. Regular fenestration with ashlar cills, lintels and rybats. 5-storey canted bays at every 3rd bay.

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

Statement of Special Interest

Well-detailed townhouses in plain classical style, designed by J Watherston and Sons. The terrace is a significant component of the streetscape with distinctive canted bays. The design is characteristic of later Victorian terraces, with features such as the fluted aprons and canted bays resulting from a broader use of Renaissance sources.

The Watherston's practice built large parts of Edinburgh's West End speculatively, often conforming to the plans of the Walker and Heriot Trusts. The practice functioned as both architects and builders, and as well as their work in Edinburgh the firm also did country house work in the same way. The Watherston office was also responsible for the design of Nos. 17 and 18 Rothesay Place (see separate listing) which illustrates the variety of sources which they drew upon in their designs.

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

References

Bibliography

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