27 Nile Grove, Morningside, Edinburgh

A pair of semi-detached houses built around 1885 by Wardrop Anderson & Browne, located in Morningside, Edinburgh. The houses exhibit Queen Anne detailing and are set within a well-defined setting. Constructed of cream sandstone with squared and snecked rubble masonry to the front, and squared and snecked stugged rubble to the rear and sides, the front elevation features polished dressings. The front (south) elevation is symmetrical, with architraved entrance doorways to each bay, each featuring a rectangular leaded light fanlight, panelled door, and a tiled vestibule. Single windows are located above the entrances on the first floor. The house to the right has a corniced canted window at ground floor with a panelled parapet. Above, a bipartite window slightly breaks the eaves with a decorative frieze, cornice incorporating a swagged scroll-flanked panel and pediment. The house to the left features a two-storey corniced, rectangular projecting tripartite window at ground floor, with return lights that also break the eaves. The first-floor window has a panelled apron, a swagged panel and a similar pediment. The rear (north) elevations feature two-storey brick projections, the returns faced with rubble and topped with piend roofs to the centre bays. Number 27 has a rendered facade with a tripartite window on the first floor and a large attic skylight. Number 25 displays polychrome brickwork, single windows, and a corbelled, shouldered wallhead stack. The west elevation is M-gabled, with a corniced apex stack and bipartite windows to the ground and first floors of the left bay. The right bay has a single window at ground floor. The east elevation is also M-gabled with a corniced apex stack on the left bay, and a slightly projecting corniced bipartite window at ground floor to the right bay, with a small flanking window above at first floor. A single window is located at ground floor in the left bay. The windows are timber sash and case, with six-pane upper sashes and two-pane or plate glass lower sashes. A green slate roof is topped with red ridge tiles and four stacks: two at the apex, one at the wallhead (on number 25), and two central stacks. The roof also incorporates ashlar skews and moulded gable ends. Decorative moulded eaves gutters and gutterheads are present. The interior was not inspected in 1992. The property is enclosed by a tall rubble wall with semi-circular coping to the rear and sides, a low wall to the front with saddleback coping, cast-iron railings, and pedestrian and carriage gates.