20 York Place, Edinburgh

20 York Place is a later 18th century, three-storey terraced classical house with an attic and basement. It features a broached ashlar sandstone exterior, with V-jointed rustication on the principal floor. The building has a base course, band courses between the basement and the principal floor, as well as between the principal and first floors. There is a cill course at the first floor, a reeded frieze between the first and second floors, and a mutuled cornice with a blocking course at the second floor. The windows on the first and second floors are architraved, and there are ashlar steps leading to an entrance platform that overhangs the basement.

On the south elevation, there is an advanced fluted Doric tripartite doorpiece located in the bay to the left of the centre at the principal floor. This is flanked by a tripartite doorway that includes a six-panel timber door, a radial semicircular fanlight, four-pane sidelights, and aprons, all surmounted by a lintel. The remaining bays on the principal floor contain windows, and the upper floors and basement have regular fenestration. The basement area is flagged.

The west elevation adjoins another terrace, which is listed separately as 18 York Place, while the east elevation adjoins 22 York Place, also listed separately. The north (rear) elevation was not seen in 1998.

The building features 12-pane timber sash and case windows, a grey slate M-roof, and cast-iron rainwater goods. There is a broached ashlar and rendered ridge stack that is coped and has circular cans, along with coped skews.

The interiors were not seen in 1998. The property is complemented by ashlar copes topped with cast-iron railings that have spear-headed and urn finials, as well as cast-iron lamps mounted on the railings with glass globes.