7 Lennox Street, Edinburgh

7 Lennox Street in Edinburgh is a terrace of two-storey, basement, and attic townhouses designed by John Tait, with alterations by John Chesser, built between 1868 and 1869. The terrace features an advanced three-storey, four-bay block to the left (Nos 3 and 5) and is notable for its prominent full-height three-light canted bays. The exterior is constructed from sandstone ashlar, with the gable being stugged, squared, and snecked. The entrance platts oversail the basement area recess, and there is a banded base course, a banded string course at the ground floor, and a moulded cornice above the canted bay. The advanced block has a banded string course at the first floor and a corniced eaves course with a balustraded parapet above. The doorways are corniced and feature large foliate console brackets, while the predominant doors are timber, two-leaf, four-panel types with rectangular fanlights. The first-floor windows have raised banded surrounds and bracket cills, as do the second-floor windows of the advanced block. The centre bays (Nos 7 and 9) have segmental arched tile-hung dormers, along with a variety of later attic dormers.

On the southwest (rear) elevation, the building is faced with coursed squared sandstone rubble, complemented by tooled ashlar rybats, lintels, and cills. The fenestration is roughly regular, and there are some later single-storey extensions. The windows are made of plate glass in timber sash and case frames. The pitched roof is covered with grey slates, featuring corniced ashlar ridge stacks with octagonal clay cans, and cast-iron rainwater goods. The basement area recess to the street is edged with cast-iron railings.

Inside, as seen in a selection of interiors in 2010, there is a decorative classical scheme characterized by intricate plasterwork and large drawing rooms. The stone stairs are complemented by a well-detailed cast iron balustrade and timber handrail, topped by large cupolas with decorative plasterwork beneath. Principal rooms feature decorative cornicing, some ceiling roses, and large marble fireplaces. Working window shutters are also present, although some areas have been converted into flats.