Oakbank, 2 Lauder Road, Edinburgh

Circa 1865. 2-storey, irregular-plan Italianate villa with entrance tower. Roughly stugged, squared and snecked cream sandstone masonry with polished dressings and contrasting red sandstone details to tower. Band and eaves courses, rusticated quoins, overhanging timber eaves and chamfered reveals. SOUTH (FORMER ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 4-stage square entrance tower, recessed to outer right with architraved keystoned round-arched doorway (now blocked and windowed). Pilaster doorpiece with carved consoles supporting cornice. Bipartite round-arched window at 1st floor with blind diminutive arcaded apron, contrasting mullions and carved animal capitals. Letterbox window at 2nd floor breaking eaves, timber piend-roofed towerhead at 4th stage with arcaded tripartite windows above cornice and aprons to each face (1 light blinded). Lean-to with glass roof and open side across 3 principal bays. Advanced and corniced bipartite window (now door and single windw) in bay to right with bipartite window above. Full-height canted window with decorative cast-iron balcony at 1st floor in bay to centre. Recessed bay to outer left with single window at ground floor (now converted to door). Single window with decorative cast-iron balcony at 1st floor. Single storey addition to west. EAST (LAUDER ROAD) ELEVATION: entrance tower to outer left; details as above except round-arched window at ground floor with border glazing pattern. 2 bays slightly advanced to right of tower. Advanced single storey service wing to outer right. WEST ELEVATION: single storey pitched and asphalted roof addtion to advanced bay to outer right. Single window recessed bay to inner right, with modern fire escape and rendered chimney stack. 3 piend-roofed bays to outer left with regular fenestration. NORTH ELEVATION: 3-bay advanced piend-roofed block to outer right. Recessed central bay with arcaded tripartite stair window. Single storey service wing to outer left. Plate glass, 4-pane, and small-pane sash and case windows. Grey slate piended roofs and lead flashing. Corniced and shouldered stacks. Lead finial to tower roof. Box dormer to south. Segmental-arched dormer to west. INTERIOR: imperial staircase with carved wooden balustrades and newel posts. Elaborate bracketed plasterwork cornice and decoration. BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: high mutual boundary walls and to Lauder Road and to Lauder Road and Grange Loan. Coped coulded ashlar gatepiers to Lauder Road. Single storey timber outhouses to north. Ashlar steps down to wellhead in garden.