11 Hillside Crescent, Edinburgh

W H Playfair, designed 1820. Near-symmetrical, classical terraced (see Notes) house with Greek Doric colonnade and eaves parapet; 3-bay, 3-storey and basement (2 additional storeys to rear). Polished ashlar (droved ashlar to basement, squared coursed rubble with droved margins to rear). Predominantly regular fenestration.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left bay, stone steps leading to 2-leaf timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight. Projecting band dividing basement and ground floors; plain entablature dividing ground and 1st floors; cill band to 2nd floor; modillioned eaves cornice; blocking course; balustraded parapet. Paired fluted Greek Doric engaged columns dividing bays to ground floor. Regular fenestration; moulded architraves to 1st and 2nd floors; segmental-headed windows to basement.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay elevation; 2-bay bow to left. Eaves course; blocking course surmounted by plain railings. To far left, one-bay 2-storey piend-roofed offshoot; adjoining to right, advanced bowed open colonnade with moulded cast-iron columns to ground floor supporting 1st floor with tripartite bowed section to left and window to right; lean-to roof. To 3rd floor to bow, continuous cast-iron trellis design balconette with Greek fret borders and scrolled wrought-iron bracket supports. To all 5th floor windows, individual ornamental cast-iron balconettes. To right bay (excluding 5th storey), some unsympathetic alterations to openings; external metal staircase obscures much of bay from ground to 4th floor.

GLAZING etc: predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof to front elevation rising to flat roof to rear; grey slate to pitched section; stone skews. To front elevation, corniced ashlar ridge stacks with predominantly circular cans to outer left and right.

RAILINGS: edging basement recess and platt, cast-iron railings with spear-head finials, spear-headed dog bars and distinctive Greek key patterned top border.

INTERIOR: to ground floor: to lobby, screen of 2 pairs of fluted Ionic columns in anta, compartmented ceiling, good plasterwork; to former dining room, bowed inner wall, black slate chimneypiece, corniced doorpiece, good plasterwork; to rear room, bowed inner and outer walls, corniced doorpieces, good plasterwork. To 1st floor: former drawing room slapped through to rear room, bowed outer wall to rear, suspended ceiling (plasterwork may remain above). To 2nd floor: to front room (E), classical grey marble chimneypiece, corniced doorpieces, plasterwork cornice. To stairs and stair hall: stone stairs with cast-iron balusters; plasterwork friezes to wall and edges of landings; cupola and ceiling blocked from view by glazed panel; some good plasterwork cornices; to 1st floor landing, plaster bas-relief plaque above door; to ground floor, round-headed arch leading to semi-circular domed area giving access to principal rooms.