48 Melville Street, Edinburgh

Robert Brown, 1814; built 1826 (Nos. 58 and 60 built 1860). Classical terrace comprising unified façade of 3-storey and basement, 3-bay townhouses with m,ain-door and common stair flats behind; 5-bay corner block to W returning 5 bays to Manor Place. Later attic additions to No. 54 and 60. Later alterations to no. 54 by Robert Lorimer, 1903. Later alterations to No. 31 Manor place by R Hurd and Partners for the open university, 1970. Basement area to street including some vaulted cellars and retaining walls. Sandstone ashlar, droved to basement (vermiculated to end block), channelled to ground floor. Entrance platts oversailing basement. Banded base course. Banded cill and string courses at 1st floor. Parapet to corner block, balustraded to centre. Round arched recessed surrounds to outer bays of corner block. Architraved and corniced 1st floor outer windows to corner block. Return to Manor Place similar to that at Melville Street.

Predominantly 12-pane in timber sash and case windows; 24- and 16-pane glazing to No. 54 (including leaded attic windows to rear elevation). Mansard roof; grey slates. Corniced ashlar gable end and ridge stacks with modern clay cans. Cast-iron railings on ashlar coping stone edging basement recess.

INTERIOR: interior typified by highly decorative classical scheme with detailed cornicing, converted for later office and residential use (2008). Neo-Tudor interior scheme by Robert Lorimer to No. 54. Ribbed and timber panelled ceiling with carved boss in canted bay to rear at right. Large sandstone fire surrounds with neo-Tudor detailing.

ARCHED LAMP HOLDERS: decorative cast-iron arches, with lamp holder to centre, few lamp bowls retained. Original cast-iron serpent lamp extinguisher to railings throughout.