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

CANONGATE, 1 AND 2 CHESSEL'S COURT (W BLOCK)LB51171

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
A
Group Category Details
100000019 - See Notes
Date Added
14/12/1970
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 26221 73724
Coordinates
326221, 673724

Description

Circa 1770 (Restored 1963-64 by Robert Hurd and Partners - see Notes). Pair of fine, adjoining 18th century tenement blocks, prominently situated to W side of Chessel's Court. Harled and painted rubble with ashlar dressings. South block with nepus gable and L-plan forestair. N block with canted projecting stairtower to principal elevation.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: S BLOCK: 3-storey with attic and basement, 4-bay to principal (E) elevation. L-plan forestair rising to central 2-leaf timber door with box fan-light; moulded architrave. Central 2-window wallhead gable with coped stack at apex. Later cat-slide dormers flanking. 4-story to rear; full-height stair outshot at 4th bay. N BLOCK: 4-storey with canted full-height stairtower to 4th bay. S gable end with small windows at each floor to right. Irregular groupings of small windows at each floor to rear elevation.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate. End stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Special Interest

Nos 1 and 2 Chessel's Court (West Block) are an important survival of 18th century Edinburgh tenements and are also key buildings in the 1960s regeneration of the Canongate. Occupying a key location on the Westside of the court, they were built to provide better accommodation for relatively wealthy residents within the confines of the Old Town. The building is notable for its early timber turnpike stair within the stairtower of the N block (partly seen at resurvey - 2007). Archibald Chesil was an Edinburgh wright (master-carpenter) of some local standing and the building probably follows his design quite closely.

In response to the practice of wholesale slum-clearances advanced in the 1867 Improvement Act, the building was purchased by Patrick Geddes (see below) to prevent its demolition. It was restored in 1963-5 as part of the initial phase of Robert Hurd and Partners' Canongate regeneration scheme. Together with the S block (Nos 3, 4, 5, 6, and 6B Chessels Court) and the N block (Nos 242 and 244 Canongate - see separate listings) they acted as a 'test case' model for further systematic restoration of the area by Robert Hurd and other architects. On completion, the Chessel's Court project provided 82 houses, 1 school and schoolhouse, 4 shops, 1 public house and further office space. Using a range of contemporary approaches to restoration within the scope of a limited housing fund budget, a unified scheme was achieved.

The historic and architectural value of Edinburgh's Canongate area as a whole cannot be overstated. Embodying a spirit of permanence while constantly evolving, its buildings reflect nearly 1000 years of political, religious and civic development in Scotland. Throughout the 19th Century the Canongate's prosperity declined as large sections of the nobility and middle classes moved out of the area in favour of the grandeur and improved facilities of Edinburgh's New Town. The Improvement Act of 1867 made efforts to address this, responding early on with large-scale slum clearance and redevelopment of entire street frontages. A further Improvement Act (1893) was in part a reaction to this 'maximum intervention', responding with a programme of relatively small-scale changes within the existing street pattern. This latter approach was more consistent with Patrick Geddes' concept of 'conservative surgery'. A renowned intellectual, Geddes, who lived in the Old Town, was a pioneer of the modern conservation movement in Scotland which gathered momentum throughout the 20th century. Extensive rebuilding and infilling of sections of the Canongate's many tenements took place, most notably by city architects, E J McRae and Robert Hurd (mid 20th century) with some early frontages retained and others rebuilt in replica.

Prior to resurvey, the collective statutory address for the S, W and N blocks at Chessel's Court was 'CANONGATE 240 CHESSEL'S COURT'. The three buildings were listed individually at resurvey in 2007/08

Part of A-group with '3, 4, 5, 6 and 6B CHESSEL'S COURT' (HBNum 28454) and '242-244 (EVEN NOS) CANONGATE' (see separate listings). List description revised as part of Edinburgh Holyrood Ward resurvey, 2007/08.

References

Bibliography

1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1869). E J MacRae, The Royal Mile (1962) p41. A A M Johnstone, Chessels Court: the rehabilitation of an 18th century court in the Canongate (1983) 2v Typescript - Copy in RCAHMS Library. John Gifford et al, Buildings of Scotland - Edinburgh, (1991) p213. Charles McKean, Edinburgh - An Illustrated Architectural Guide (1992) p29. R I McCallum, Historical notes on Chessel's Court (1992) - Copy in RCAHMS library. Dictionary of Scottish Architects, www.scottisharchitects.org.uk (accessed 10.05.2007)

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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Printed: 29/03/2024 07:30