11 Darnaway Street, Edinburgh

11 Darnaway Street, Edinburgh

This is a Grade A classical terrace designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822. The building comprises a 19-bay composition: a central block of 9 bays rising 3 storeys above a basement, flanked by a pair of advanced terminal pavilions each of 5 bays and rising 4 storeys above a basement. The frontage is slightly curved.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor level. Base courses, band courses between basement and principal floors, and cornices at impost level mark the principal storeys of the terminal pavilions. Cill courses run at 1st and 2nd floors of the central block and at 1st floor of the terminal pavilions, with cornices at 2nd floors. Both the central block and terminal pavilions are topped with cornices and blocking courses. Ashlar steps and entrance platts overhang the basements.

On the south-west principal elevation, the central terrace displays 9 bays with 4-panel timber doors with rectilinear rectangular fanlights positioned in the bay to the right of centre and in the 3rd bays from left and right. The remaining bays have regular fenestration at principal floor and above. Windows at 1st floor are architraved with cornices; those at 2nd floor are architraved. A flagged basement area extends across.

The terminal pavilions on this elevation each comprise 5 bays. The right pavilion (Nos 1 and 3) features 4-panel timber doors with radial semicircular fanlights in round-arched recesses centred at principal floor with glazed upper panels, and another similar door in the outer right bay at principal floor. Round-arched windows in round-arched recesses occupy the remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration to the floors above. The left pavilion (No 11) has a 4-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight in a round-arched recess centred at principal floor, flanked by round-arched windows in round-arched recesses with radial glazing patterns. Regular fenestration rises above, with blind windows inserted in the penultimate bays from the left at 1st and 2nd floors. Both pavilions have flagged basement areas.

The Gloucester Lane elevation to the east terminal pavilion consists of 5 bays with single storey and basement, with a 4-bay addition to the right (1–4 Gloucester Lane). This section is predominantly coursed rubble with droved sandstone at basement level. The polished ashlar and V-jointed rustication of the principal elevation are returned here and terminate at the outer left. A band course runs between basement and 1st floor. A 5-bay polished ashlar corniced shopfront at basement comprises a 2-leaf 6-panel timber common stair door with 4-panel rectangular fanlight at centre, a 2-bay shopfront to the left with a 2-leaf 4-panel timber door, plate glass rectangular fanlight and plate glass window to the outer left, and a 2-leaf 6-panel timber door with 4-pane rectangular fanlight and multi-pane window to the outer right. Pairs of windows are centred to the floors above, with windows to the right stepped up and narrow lights to the right of centre at 1st and 2nd floors. The 4-bay addition to the right (No 4) features a polished ashlar shopfront with cornice and blocking course, a panelled timber door in the penultimate bay from the left, windows in the remaining bays, and openings to left and right at basement.

The west return to the west terminal pavilion consists of 4 bays and forms part of 1 Moray Place (see separate listing).

The rear elevation was not inspected as of 1998.

Windows throughout are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case. Anthemion and palmette window guards appear in the central 3 bays of the central block at 1st floor and in corresponding bays of the terminal pavilions at 1st floor. The roof is covered in grey slate with an M-profile. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted, with ridge and wallhead stacks coped with circular cans.

The interiors were not inspected as of 1998, though evidence of working panelled shutters was noted.

The boundary is marked by ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lis finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes are also present.