17 Newington Road, Edinburgh

This is a substantial block of houses and tenements, built around 1825. It is a 2-storey structure with raised basements and prominent, 3-storey terminal pavilions, situated on Newington Road in Edinburgh. The main (west) elevation is faced in polished cream sandstone ashlar, with rustication at ground level. Droved ashlar is used on the basements and the third floor of the pavilions, with a stugged finish on the north elevation. The south elevation and rear are constructed from coursed rubble.

The building features a base course, a band course, and panelled aprons beneath the first-floor windows. There is a cornice above the first floor, and a further cornice above the second floor of the pavilions, terminating in a blocking course. Later shopfronts have been added along Newington Road.

The west elevation (Newington Road) is divided into a central 6-bay block of tenements and two advanced pavilions. The tenement section has doorways on the outer left side, with panelled doors and plate glass fanlights. The right-hand side has regular window placement on each floor, with lengthened windows replacing the original panelled aprons on the first floor of the tenements to the right and penultimate left. The north pavilion is rounded at the corner with East Preston Street and the south pavilion has blind windows on the first and second floors.

The north elevation (East Preston Street) is a 4-bay section with a shop at ground level, regular windows above, and a rounded corner meeting Newington Road. It also has blind windows on the first and second floors to the outer right and penultimate left.

The south elevation (East Newington Place) is a 4-bay section, featuring a blank bay on the extreme right. A doorway is located penultimate left providing access, with a panelled door, a small-paned geometric fanlight, and a corniced doorpiece supported by Doric columns. The central and left areas have regular fenestration, while smaller windows are present to the right of the door at ground and first floor levels.

The east elevation has paired windows rising to a wallhead stack on the south pavilion, and a doorway on the north pavilion with a panelled door, plate glass fanlight, Doric columned doorpiece, and paired windows above it. A single window is situated on the far left.

Most windows are timber, sash and case, with plate glass; some retain 4-pane and 12-pane glazing. The roof is covered in grey slate, with coped wallheads and ridge stacks topped with moulded cans.

A high, coursed rubble boundary wall encloses the rear gardens, bordering East Preston Street and East Newington Place.