20, 21, 22 Fettes Row, Edinburgh

Building: 20, 21, 22 Fettes Row, Edinburgh

This is a large terraced tenement designed by Thomas Brown in 1821. The building comprises 40 bays arranged in a near-symmetrical composition: a central linking block of 26 bays rising to 3 storeys with basement, flanked by a pair of 4-storey and basement terminal pavilions, each 5 bays wide.

The main elevation faces north. The linking block is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with droved ashlar at basement level. Band courses run across at principal, first and second floors, with a cornice and blocking course at the second floor. The linking block features 4-panel timber doors with decorative rectangular fanlights, irregularly positioned at the principal floor in bays 3rd, 4th, 6th, 11th and 13th from the left, and 3rd, 5th, 7th and 12th from the right. Windows occupy the remaining principal floor bays, with a narrow plate glass window inserted between the doors to Nos 14 and 15. Above the principal floor, fenestration is regular with panelled aprons to the first floor windows. A flagged basement area extends below.

The terminal pavilions are distinguished by V-jointed rustication at their principal floors. The eastern pavilion (No 13) is centred on a 4-panel timber door with a radial semicircular fanlight set within a round-arched doorpiece. Flanking bays contain windows in round-arched recesses. Windows to the floors above are regularly spaced, with projecting cills at the principal and first floors. Roman Doric pilasters flank bays at the first and second floors, with panelled pilasters at the third floor. A corniced blank frieze marks the impost level at the principal floor.

The western pavilion (No 24) contains 4-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights in round-arched doorpieces positioned at centre and outer right at principal floor level. The remaining principal floor bays feature windows in round-arched recesses. Upper floors have regular fenestration, again with projecting cills at principal and first floor levels and the same pilaster arrangement. A flagged basement area extends below this pavilion as well.

The eastern elevation, which becomes 104 and 106 Dundas Street, rises 4 storeys with basement over 5 bays. A panelled timber common stair door with decorative rectangular fanlight is centred at principal floor. Regular fenestration extends above, though blind windows appear in the penultimate bays to left and right and the outer right at all floors above basement. At basement level, a 2-bay shopfront occupies the right side, with a glazed door at the outer right and a plate glass window in the penultimate bay to the right.

The railings surmounting ashlar copes feature iron balusters with fleur-de-lis details and pineapple and quasi-Maltese cross finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes are positioned along the street frontage.

The interiors were not inspected in 1997, though evidence suggests some working panelled shutters survive.

A mews block is located to the rear in North West Cumberland Street Lane. This earlier 19th-century structure is 2 storeys high and 3 bays wide, constructed in stugged, squared and snecked sandstone with droved ashlar dressings and projecting cills. The principal elevation facing south contains an 8-panel timber door to the right of centre with a 3-pane fanlight, flanked by a modern garage door with concrete lintel inserted to the right and a window to the left; paired windows occupy the outer left. At first floor, windows break the eaves line within regularly spaced gabled stone dormerheads, which are slate hung. A modern garage structure obscures the eastern elevation.

The mews block features predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows, a graded grey slate roof, cast-iron rainwater goods, sandstone gablehead stacks with circular cans and coped tops, and coped skews.