Grantons, 174 Granton Road, Edinburgh

Grantons is a two-story, asymmetrical villa dating to 1855, with later additions and conversion to flats during the mid-20th century. It has an L-plan layout with a single-story extension to the re-entrant angle, likely added slightly later. The villa is constructed of stugged sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings, with the extension’s dressings being droved. A base course runs along the building. The windows feature architraves, largely lugged with semicircular panels above and stopped roll-moulded reveals. Bargeboarded gables are also a prominent feature.

The east (entrance) elevation features a gabled projecting entrance vestibule centrally located. The roof of the vestibule curves outwards below the eaves and is topped with a pendant finial. Steps lead up to a two-leaf panelled timber door with a lugged architrave that includes a keystone and a rounded panel displaying the date above. Bracketed base courses flank the door, supporting stone urns and continue as a moulded cornice over the datestone. Two bays to the left have gabled dormers, and a three-light corniced bay window with a moulded ashlar parapet, featuring ball finials at the projecting corners, sits below a semicircular panel in the architrave head. A gabled dormer is to the right, and an angled projecting gabled corner bay with a pendant finial extends further, with a three-light canted bay window on the ground floor. The upper section is corbelled, with a three-light mullion window at the centre and a gabled dormer to the left return.

The north elevation has a central bay with a finial and pendant to the gable, and a three-light corniced bay window with a moulded ashlar parapet with ball finials. An angled projecting corner bay is on the left, mirroring the entrance elevation, with a gabled dormer to the right return. The single-story extension to the right features a gabled projecting bay with a pendant finial and a large window to the right, with a single bay to the left.

The south elevation displays a gabled bay to the right and two bays with gabled dormers to the left, with a single ground floor window positioned between. The west elevation presents a gabled bay to the right with concrete steps (having harled sides) leading to an inserted doorway on the first floor. A blocked window is to the right. The single-story extension to the re-entrant angle of the L-plan has a large glazed opening to its projecting gabled bay on the left, a late 20th century conservatory, and a door and window on the right return. A gable of the main block sits behind, with two windows beneath.

Mainly six-pane timber sash and case windows are present throughout. The roofs are covered with grey slate. The chimneys are two-tiered polished ashlar stacks with moulded cornices, coping, and round cans, with projecting wallheads to the rear of the entrance porch, wallheads to both gables on the west side of the main block, and two ridge stacks. Cast-iron downpipes are also visible.

The interior retains the ground floor plan largely intact. The entrance porch features a fine mosaic floor depicting a lion with a sword and the motto 'QUOD NON PRO PATRIA' within a border of thistles.

Original gate piers and a boundary wall are located at the original main entrance to Wardie Crescent. The piers are chamfered sandstone ashlar with moulded cornices and coping. A low-coursed sandstone wall with ashlar coping terminates in piers, situated to the left and on Granton Road. There is a pedestrian gateway to Granton Road. A section of rubble wall along Wardie Crescent, to the rear of the house, incorporates a brick former carriage house, now converted to a garage.