Royal Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland

HISTORIC SCOTLAND

EDINBURGH, CITY OF COUNCIL - STATUTORY LIST

1-13A (INCLUSIVE NOS) ROYAL CRESCENT, 24 AND 24A DUNDONALD STREET AND 26-28 (EVEN NOS) SCOTLAND STREET, INCLUDING RAILINGS AND LAMPS

Category: A

Group Category: A

Date of Listing 22-SEP-1965


Description:
Thomas Brown, 1825; completed 1884-8, James Lessels. 4-storey and basement 29-bay terraced tenement, comprising 19-bay central block flanked by 5-bay terminal pavilions. Polished ashlar sandstone, V-jointed rustication at principal floor of end pavilions; broached ashlar sandstone W elevation, with channelled principal floor. Greek Doric doorpieces to central block. Band courses between basement and principal floor, principal and 1st floor, 1st and 2nd floor; continuous cornice to 2nd floor; cornice and blocking course at 3rd floor. Raised margins to principal floor windows; panelled aprons at 1st floor. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced and corniced doorpieces to central block, with Greek Doric columns supporting entablatures; regular fenestration to all floors; 3-bay window guard spanning bays at 1st floor of No 2, windows guards in bays at 1st floor of Nos 7 and 8. Terminal pavilions with round-arched recesses to central 3 bays at principal floor; 4-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight centred at E terminal pavilion, pair of 6-panel timber doors with rectangular fanlights in bays flanking centre bay to W terminal pavilion, regular fenestration to floors above, and to basements. Ionic pilasters between bays at 1st and 2nd floors, panelled pilasters between bays at 3rd floor.

NE (SCOTLAND STREET) ELEVATION: 4-bay end elevation comprising 4-panel timber doors with rectangular fanlights in bay to outer left and penultimate bay from left, regular fenestration to all floors, with blind windows in bay to outer right at all floors, and at outer left at 2nd and 3rd floors. 3-bay return at Scotland Street comprising regular fenestration at all floors.

W (DUNDONALD STREET) ELEVATION: 4-bay elevation comprising 6-panel timber door in penultimate bay from left at principal floor, with plate glass rectangular fanlight, windows in remaining bays at principal floor, regular fenestration to all floors, and to basement.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate M-roof; 2 pairs of lead-roofed rectangular dormers at Nos 9-11, pair to right breaking pitch. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Variety of wallhead and ridge stacks; coped, with circular cans.

INTERIORS: not seen, 1997, but some evidence of working panelled shutters.

RAILINGS AND LAMPS: ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lis balusters and variety of finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes.


References:
Youngson, THE MAKING OF CLASSICAL EDINBURGH (1966), pp206, 210; Gifford, McWilliam and Walker, EDINBURGH (1984), p353; MacRae Heritors 38; Register of Sasines.

Notes:
Part of the Second New Town A Group, a significant surviving part of one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain, Royal Crescent was part of the first extension of the New Town planned by Reid and Sibbald in 1802. Feued by the Magistrates. Building began in 1825 and was discontinued about 1829. The original scheme was for 3 segments with a detached building in the middle of Nos 15-23. This did not materialise and following upon the construction of the Scotland Street Tunnel in 1847 the eastern segment had to be omitted. The western segments were finally completed in 1888 according to a scheme prepared by James Lessels, architect to the City Improvement Trust, in 1884. For mews to rear, see separate listing (West Scotland Street Lane).