1 Polwarth Terrace, Edinburgh

1 Polwarth Terrace, Edinburgh

A possibly 18th century double villa of Gothic character, dated around 1874. The building is irregular in plan, rising 2 storeys with a basement opening to the rear. It is constructed in cream sandstone, coursed and snecked with polished ashlar dressings to the front elevation. The rear and side elevations feature droved ashlar dressings. Chamfered reveals are characteristic throughout. A moulded cill course runs at first-floor level, rising from ground-floor hoodmoulds. Decorative chevron friezes ornament the front elevation, porch and canted window. Ashlar mullions are used throughout, with carved roundels bearing foliage motifs set within the spandrels.

The north-east (Merchiston Avenue) elevation presents three bays. A single-storey entrance porch is set within a re-entrant angle to the outer right, formed with an M-gabled bay to the north-west. The porch was originally arcaded but has been infilled; it retains a rubble base, a piend and platform roof carried by shouldered arches over slender columns with foliage capitals. The entrance comprises a two-leaf panelled door facing north-east, with a single window to the north-west. Above stands a pointed-arch window with a gabled dormerhead set in the angle. A gabled bay to the right of centre contains a bipartite ground-floor window with trefoil carving to its lintel, and a round-arched bipartite first-floor window with a slender central column and foliage capital set within a pointed-arch panel. A grooved, shouldered and corniced wallhead stack sits on the return to the right, above the porch, with a carved panel. The centre bay features single windows, the first-floor example being under a shouldered arch. The outer left bay contains a two-storey tripartite bow window; a string course rises to form a hoodmould above the central ground-floor window, which is surmounted by a square panel carved with a 'green man' motif. First-floor windows with shouldered arches break the eaves line beneath a fish-scale conical roof topped with a decorative cast-iron finial.

The north-west (Polwarth Terrace) elevation also presents three bays, with M-gables to the centre and right. A single-storey porch to the left connects with the porch described above. The central bay contains a later entrance door inserted between basement and ground-floor levels with a moulded surround, which partially blocks a former bipartite window with trefoil carving to its lintel. Above this is a round-arched bipartite window with a slender central column and foliage capital within a pointed-arch panel at first-floor level. The bay to the right features two-storey canted windows with a half-piend roof. Below a raised hoodmould sits a square panel carved with a 'green man' motif.

The south-west elevation comprises a three-storey lean-to projection with bipartite windows at basement and ground-floor levels and a single window above. Single windows appear on the return at first-floor level, with a narrow corbelled window set within an angle. A grooved, shouldered and corniced wallhead stack stands to the left. A later flat-roofed canopy covers a door in the return. A second two-storey lean-to projection to the right has been altered.

The south-east (rear) elevation presents three bays: a gabled bay to the right with an apex stack and single windows at each floor; a single first-floor window in the central bay; and a recessed bay to the left with a wide wallhead stack and a two-storey lean-to projection, which has been altered.

The windows are plate-glass timber sash and case. The roof is slate with lead flashings. Three wallhead stacks are present (as described above), with triangular coped skews and gablet-caped skewputts; the gables originally bore stone finials. A moulded eaves gutter runs throughout. A single-storey stone-built double garage is attached.

The building is bounded by a tall rubble wall with semi-circular coping, which steps down to the north-east elevation. An elaborate cast-iron gate with gatepiers formerly stood to the north-east; the railings are missing. The interior was not examined as of 1992.