8 Clarendon Crescent, Edinburgh

2 Clarendon Crescent is a group of townhouses of group value, constructed between 1850 and 1853 by John Tait, with later alterations to the attic level. It forms a concave, stepped crescent of predominantly three-storey townhouses with a basement and attic, arranged in two bays, and is built in an Italianate classical style. The design includes flanking tenement pavilions with five bays, alternating recessed and advanced bays (arranged 5-10-5-9-9-9-5-10-5). The building sits on ground that slopes away to the north.

The exterior is faced in sandstone ashlar, with a banded base course, a banded cill course at the first floor level, a moulded cill course at the second floor level, a corniced and dentilled eaves course, and a balustraded parapet to some sections. Entrance platts overhang the basement recess to the street. Geometric cast-iron balconies are positioned at the first floor, supported by large foliate brackets. Ground floor windows have moulded architraves, with lugged architraves and apron panels. First-floor windows in the advanced bays have segmental pediments, while the recessed bays feature alternating corniced and pedimented windows. The third-floor windows have deep bracketed cills. The original doors are predominantly timber, featuring two leaves with six panels each, and rectangular fanlights.

The northwest elevation, facing Oxford Terrace, has five bays, with a three-bay ashlar attic storey in the centre. Triangular pediments top the first-floor windows, with cornicing to the flanking bays. A balustrade flanks the central attic storey.

The southeast elevation, facing Eton Terrace, features three bays including an entrance porch with raised, channelled quoins and narrow window openings to the returns. A later greenhouse has been added to the first floor. Segmental pediments adorn the first-floor windows. A single-storey screen wall with three bays is situated on the right, with a banded base course, corniced parapet, channelled piers dividing the bays, and round arched openings; the opening on the left is now glazed.

The rear (northeast) elevation is constructed of coursed squared rubble, with some droved ashlar quoins, rybats, cills and lintels. The fenestration is roughly regular, with some full-height, three-light canted bays. An original single-bay, single-storey outbuilding is located behind number 10, and later single-storey extensions have been added.

Most windows have a predominantly eight-pane glazing pattern with plate glass in timber sash and case windows. The roof is predominantly double-pitched and covered in grey slates. Ashlar ridge stacks feature cornices and octagonal clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods and cast-iron railings edge the basement area recess to the street.

Internally, a classical decorative scheme is present, characterised by intricate plasterwork and large drawing rooms. Large entrance vestibules are corniced, with stone stairs containing a well-detailed cast iron balustrade, a timber handrail, and topped by cupolas with decorative plasterwork. Decorative plasterwork is found in the principal rooms, and original working window shutters remain. Some areas have been converted into flats.