1-3 Wemyss Place, Edinburgh

1-3 Wemyss Place, Edinburgh

This is a Grade A listed building comprising a symmetrical classical palace block designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822 and built around 1833-34, with alterations made circa 1847. The building steps down to the north and extends across 31 bays in total.

The composition is structured around a prominent 4-storey and basement central pavilion with 9 bays, its central 3 bays further advanced. This is flanked by a pair of 3-storey and basement linking blocks of 6 bays each, which are in turn flanked by a pair of 4-storey and basement terminal pavilions of 5 bays each.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with channelled rustication at the principal floor level, and polished treatment at the principal floor of the south terminal pavilion. A base course runs along the foundation, with band courses between basement and principal floors. There are corniced friezes at impost level at the terminal pavilions, cill courses at the 1st and 2nd floors of the linking blocks, cornices and blocking courses at the 2nd floors of the linking blocks, and cornices at the 2nd floor of the central and terminal pavilions, with cornices and blocking courses at the 3rd floors of the central and terminal pavilions. Ashlar steps and entrance platts oversail the basements.

On the east (principal) elevation, the central pavilion is surmounted by a coped balustraded parapet with geometric balusters and a regular arrangement of panelled dies. Doric pilasters flank the bays at the 1st and 2nd floors, while panelled pilasters flank the bays at the 3rd floor. A round-arched pend is centred at the principal floor, flanked by square Doric column porches with panelled keystone motifs surmounted by dentilled cornices. Panelled 2-leaf timber doors are centred in the porches, with panelled timber blind semicircular fanlights. Windows occupy the remaining bays at principal floor level, with regular fenestration to the floors above. The 2nd floor features round-arched windows, while the 3rd floor has blind windows with recessed panels. A flagged basement area sits beneath, with a pend featuring a cornice at impost level, a cobbled floor with pall stones, and a low coped wall to the principal elevation fitted with railings.

The linking blocks on the east elevation comprise 4 3-bay houses. The principal floor features 4-panel, 2-leaf timber doors with rectangular fanlights in the left-hand bays at Nos 4 and 5 and in the right-hand bay at No 9, and in the left-hand bay at No 10. Nos 4 and 5 have plate glass fanlights, while Nos 9 and 10 have rectilinear design fanlights. Windows occupy the remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration to the floors above. The 1st floor has architraved windows with cornices, and the 2nd floor has architraved windows. Double entrance platts serve Nos 9 and 10. A flagged basement area lies beneath.

The terminal pavilions on the east elevation feature Doric pilasters flanking the bays at the 1st and 2nd floors, with panelled pilasters at the 3rd floor. The left terminal pavilion (Nos 1-3) has a 3-bay shop front at principal floor comprising a panelled door with a recessed modern glazed timber door and radial semicircular fanlight in the penultimate bay from the left, flanked by plate glass windows with radial semicircular fanlights in round-arched recesses. A 2-bay shop front to the right at principal floor comprises a 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber door with a 2-leaf decorative wrought-iron gate and radial semicircular fanlight in the penultimate bay from the right, and a plate glass window in the outer right bay with a radial semicircular fanlight in a round-arched recess. Regular fenestration continues to the floors above. The right terminal pavilion (No 11) comprises a 4-panel timber door with a radial semicircular fanlight centred at principal floor, with windows in round-arched recesses in the remaining bays at principal floor and regular fenestration to the floors above. Flagged basement areas sit beneath both terminal pavilions.

The south return to Albyn Place forms a 5-bay section that becomes 1 Albyn Place (listed separately). The north return to Darnaway Street comprises 4 bays and becomes 2 Darnaway Street (listed separately).

The building features a variety of timber sash and case windows. The roofs are covered in grey slate with a 3-window slate-hung box dormer to No 5 and a slate-hung box dormer to No 10. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout. Broached ashlar ridge and wallhead stacks, some with cornices, are coped with circular cans.

The interiors were not examined during the 1998 survey, though evidence of working panelled shutters was noted.

The building is fronted by ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with spear-headed and pineapple finials.