8 Learmonth Terrace, Edinburgh

John Chesser, 1874. 3-storey and basement terrace of classical townhouses in Free Renaissance style with advanced terminal bays and prominent 2-storey 3-light balustraded bays, bowed at ground floor, canted at 1st floor. Corniced ashlar attic storey to Nos. 5 -7. Sandstone ashlar; droved at basement. Entrance platts oversailing basement. Banded base course; moulded cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors. Corniced consoled eaves course with balustrade above to advanced terminal bays, integrated with semicircular and triangular pedimented sandstone ashlar dormers. Large doorpieces with paired foliate console brackets flanking narrow architraved sidelights. Rectangular fanlights above timber 6-panel doors; cornice and balustrade over. Moulded architraved windows to bowed bay at ground and 1st floors; bowed balustrade at 1st floor cill course. Moulded architraved 1st floor window, bracketed with round arched pediment. Moulded architraved windows at 2nd floor (tripartite above canted bay) with bracketed cills. Moulded architraved surrounds at attic storey and dormers.

W (END) ELEVATION: 3 bays. Set on ground falling away to N. Advanced balustraded bay to centre, rectangular at ground floor, canted at 1st floor. Moulded cill courses at 1st and 2nd floors; corniced consoled eaves course with balustrade above (integrated with prominent wallhead stacks). Blind windows to flanking bays. Moulded architraved windows, bracketed at 1st floor with round arched pediments. Tripartite window to centre at 2nd floor flanked by 2 blind windows all with bracketed cills.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 5 storeys. Coursed squared sandstone rubble with some ashlar quoins cills and rybats. Roughly regular fenestration with some oval windows. Prominent 3-storey 3-light canted bays. Later rectangular dormer to right (E).

BOUNDARY WALLS: boundary walls to rear, sandstone ashlar with moulded copes.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof; grey slates. Corniced ashlar gable end and ridge stacks; modern clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Cast-iron railings edging basement area to street.

INTERIOR: characterised by highly decorative classical scheme with intricate cornices. Large entrance vestibules with deep cornice and tiled floors, predominantly dog-leg stairs, topped by large cupolas with decorative plasterwork. Highly decorative plasterwork and some large marble fire surrounds to ground and 1st floor drawing rooms. Interiors of Nos. 5 -7 inspected 2008 with some compartmented ceilings and Corinthian columned entrance halls. Later conversion to flats throughout terrace.