20 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh

20 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh

A Grade A listed building designed by Robert Reid and William Sibbald between 1806 and 1819, with later alterations. This is a 44-bay near-symmetrical terrace with a curved frontage. The building comprises a 4-storey section with basement at the centre, a 6-bay central pavilion flanked by a 3-storey and basement, 12-bay linking block to the west, a 3-storey and basement, 16-bay linking block to the east, and 4-storey and basement, 5-bay terminal blocks at each end.

The principal material is polished ashlar sandstone. The rustication is V-jointed at the principal floor level and rock-faced at the basement. Band courses run between the basement and principal floor, between the principal floor and first floor, with a cill course at the second floor. A cornice runs at the second floor of the central and terminal pavilions, continued as a cornice and blocking course to the linking blocks. A further cornice and blocking course appears at the third floors of the central and terminal pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts overhang the basement. Cills to first floor windows are lowered except on the terminal pavilions. Mews buildings are located to the rear in Dublin Meuse and Northumberland Place Lane.

The south-west principal elevation features a central pavilion with a 4-panel timber door with a plate glass rectangular fanlight, centred at the principal floor. The west linking block contains panelled timber doors at the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 12th bays from the central pavilion, with plate glass rectangular fanlights except at No 18, which has a radial rectangular fanlight. The east linking block comprises pairs of windows flanked by panelled timber doors, with predominantly plate glass rectangular fanlights and radial rectangular fanlights at Nos 8 and 12. The advanced west terminal pavilion has a round-arched doorpiece centred at the principal floor, containing a 4-panel timber door with a radial semicircular fanlight, flanked by windows in round-arched recesses. The windows at the centre and outer left and right at first floor have consoled cornices and blind balustered aprons. A wallhead tablet is centred at the third floor.

The south elevation features the advanced east terminal block with a round-arched doorpiece centred at the principal floor containing a panelled timber door with a radial semicircular fanlight, flanked by windows in round-arched recesses, and a modern Regency-style porch. Windows at the centre and outer left and right at first floor have consoled cornices and blind balustered aprons. A wallhead tablet is centred at the third floor.

The east elevation, formerly numbered 2-6 Dublin Street, comprises a 4-storey and basement, 5-bay elevation with regular fenestration to all floors. Blind windows appear at the outer right and penultimate bay to the right at the first, second and third floors. The basement contains The New Town Bar, a public house, with lying-pane windows. An adjoining terrace to the north is listed separately.

The west elevation, becoming 1 and 3 Nelson Street, comprises a 4-storey and basement, 5-bay elevation with a 6-panel timber common stair door with diamond-paned rectangular fanlight, centred at the principal floor. Regular fenestration appears at all floors, with blind windows in the penultimate bay from the right at the principal, first and second floors, and at the outer right at the second and third floors. An adjoining terrace to the north is listed separately.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows are used throughout. A variety of window guards appear at the first floor of the central pavilion and linking blocks, except at No 19. Window guards spanning 3 bays appear at Nos 12, 15 (at right) and 17. Grey slate roofs cover the building, with rectangular dormers to the left and right at Nos 10 and 12, and 3-bay box dormers at Nos 11 and 14. Cast-iron rainwater goods are present. Broached and rendered ridge and shouldered wallhead stacks are coped with circular cans.

The interiors feature pendentived entrance halls at Nos 8-13, designed by James Gillespie Graham.

Railings and lamps consist of ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and urn finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes are fitted.

The mews buildings are located in two areas:

Northumberland Place Lane contains a pair of 2-storey, 3-bay mews buildings dating from the earlier 19th century, constructed in coursed rubble with rendered gables.

The mews to the left comprises a modern timber door and small light to an infilled former cart door at ground level. A modern garage door centred at ground has a stone lintel. Two-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors to the left at ground have ventilation openings and infilled glazing, with the original relieving arch evident above. A single window centred at the first floor breaks the eaves in a piended dormerhead, with a brick wallhead stack at the right. A modern coursed sandstone retaining wall adjoins at the right.

The mews to the right of No 17 comprises a boarded timber door with a plate glass fanlight, centred at ground. Two-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors with a stone lintel are to the left at ground. Recessed modern garage doors with a stone lintel occupy the former carriage door opening to the right at ground. A bipartite window with a stone mullion to the left and a window to the right appear at the first floor.

The mews buildings feature predominantly timber sash and case windows, grey slate roofs, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Ashlar and rendered wallhead stacks are coped with circular cans. Coped skews are present.

Dublin Meuse contains an earlier 19th century U-plan block of mews buildings, predominantly constructed in coursed rubble with droved ashlar dressings.

The south block comprises a predominantly blank east wall with a window to the right at ground and an infilled doorway centred at ground. The north and west elevations, facing the courtyard, contain a 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage door with a stone lintel, irregular fenestration at ground and attic, and Velux windows to the west. A rendered west gable is present.

No 4 is a 3-storey and attic, 2-bay rendered tower-style former store with a quasi-Mansard roof to the west of the south block. It comprises a modern 6-panel timber door in an architraved doorpiece to the right of centre at ground on the west elevation, windows to the left at all floors with a Velux window, windows at all floors to the north gable including a pair of small lights at the second floor, and regular glazing to the rear.

The mews buildings feature predominantly timber sash and case windows, grey slate roofs, and cast-iron rainwater goods. Rendered ridge stacks are coped with circular cans. Coped skews are present.