4-5 Baxter's Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh

John Baxter, circa 1800. Classical tenement block, 3-storey basement and attic, 19-bay elevation to Baxter's Place. Shops built out to front of N section of block. Smooth chamfered rustication to ground floor, polished ashlar to upper floors (droved / rockfaced to basement; predominantly coursed squared rubble with polished margins to side and rear). Dividing band between ground and 1st floor, and between 1st and second floor; mutuled eaves cornice; blocking course. Architraved doorpieces with consoles supporting cornices above; giant pilasters, surmounted by triglyph blocks, dividing bays to 1st floors of advanced pavilions. Regular fenestration.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: advanced pavilions of 6 bays to outer left and right. 2 timber-panelled doors with letterbox fanlights to centre of N pavilion, approached by steps between shops; windows to right 3 bays to 1st floor have dropped cills and cast iron balconettes. 3rd and 6th bay to centre section have steps to platt overarching basement recess, leading to timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight (segmental design to fanlight to right). 2nd bay from right to S pavilion has steps and overarching platt to timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight of segmental design. Dormers to roof to central 4 bays of pavilions and all but 2nd left bay of centre section.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: large modern office block extension to left. To centre, 2 bowed sections (tripartite windows to bow to left, 3-bay bow to right). Remains of later extensions and alterations extant at lower sections to right end of block. Dormers to roof to right.

S (GREENSIDE LANE) ELEVATION: 4-bay elevation; all windows blind or blocked up except those to outer left bay. To inner right bay, fluted Doric pilastered doorway (blocked up).

GLAZING etc: predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof, with piend detail to outer pavilions; grey slates; stone skews and skewputts. 4 corniced droved ashlar ridge stacks; 1 corniced rendered ridge stack to centre of block; rubble gablehead stack with ashlar quoins to S elevation, rubble, ashlar quoins; rubble wallhead to E elevation; circular cans to all stacks.

RAILINGS: spearhead and fir-cone finialled cast iron railings set in ashlar coping to edge of basement recesses, steps and platts; wrought iron lamp standards flanking platts to No 3 and No.1.