13 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh

13 Brunswick Street, Edinburgh

A terrace of four principal houses designed by W H Playfair circa 1824. This is a classical composition of distinctive character, comprising an 18-bay principal elevation of 2 storeys over basement.

The principal (western) elevation is constructed in polished ashlar to the ground floor (painted at Nos. 11 and some sections), with droved ashlar to the basement (painted at No. 7). The rear elevation is predominantly coursed rubble with droved margins. The design is articulated by dividing bands between basement and ground floor, and between ground and first floor, while a continuous cantilevered balustraded balcony runs between ground and first floors. The composition is crowned with an eaves band, eaves cornice and blocking course.

The distinctive feature of the elevation is the boldly projecting porches positioned to every third bay from the left (at Nos. 7, 11 and 13). Each porch comprises two antae flanking an architraved doorway, set on a deep stone plinth and carrying two fluted Ionic columns (with defaced capitals at No. 7) supporting a balustraded entablature. The fenestration is regular throughout, with sunk panelled aprons to the ground floor and moulded architraves to both ground and first floors (with raised surrounds to first floor at No. 7).

The basement has sunk areas accessed by steps from the left. Timber-panelled doors with three-light letterbox fanlights (or plain letterbox fanlights) are positioned to centre bays, with windows to adjacent bays. Some basement recesses have been blocked by walls, incorporating single windows (at No. 13 as a bipartite window) or tripartite windows (at No. 17). To the right bay of the ground floor, steps and a platt overarch the basement recess, giving access to 2-leaf timber-panelled doors (some with glazed panels at Nos. 9, 11 and 13) with letterbox fanlights displaying glazing patterns of 5 oval lights at Nos. 9, 11, 15 and 17.

Two flat-roofed dormer windows are positioned to each house except No. 17. These have flat roofs and glazed haffits.

The rear (eastern) elevation is a 12-bay, 4-storey composition, with the wallhead slightly higher from the 5th to 10th bay from the left. An eaves band marks the top of this elevation. No. 13 has a 2-storey extension with a lean-to roof, and a modern metal staircase has been added to the 3rd floor at No. 15.

Glazing throughout is predominantly 12-pane in timber sash and case windows. To the first floor of the principal elevation, the upper sash contains 6-lying-pane glazing and the lower sash contains 10-lying-pane glazing. To the 2nd floor of the rear elevation, windows have 12-lying-pane glazing in timber sash and case. To the 3rd floor and lower sections of the rear, the upper sash has 3-pane glazing and the lower sash has 6-pane glazing.

The roof is double-pitched with graded grey slate, stone skews and skewputts. The chimney stack arrangement is complex: two corniced, rendered gablehead stacks are positioned to the north and two to the south; five corniced rendered mutual ridge stacks occur to the front elevation (with two octagonal corniced stone flues preceding the stack between Nos. 13 and 15); five corniced rendered mutual ridge stacks occur to the rear elevation. Most stacks are corniced and rendered with circular cans.

Cast-iron railings edge the basement recesses and platts, featuring spear-head finials, spear-headed dog bars, and predominantly Greek Key patterned top borders.

No. 7 Brunswick Street: The ground floor lobby contains a round-headed niche to the right, with a pilastered and corniced timber and glazed doorpiece and screen leading to the stair hall, which has a compartmented ceiling and good plasterwork. The former dining room retains a classical black slate chimneypiece, corniced and pilastered doorpieces, a basket-arched recess, and good plasterwork including a ceiling rose. The rear room to the north has corniced and pilastered doorpieces and good plasterwork. The first floor former drawing room has corniced doorpieces and good plasterwork including a ceiling rose. The rear room to the north is subdivided and features a basket-arched recess and good plasterwork. The stairs and stair hall comprise stone stairs with cast-iron balusters, a cast-iron tray rest and wrought iron lamp bracket to the first floor landing, and an oval cupola within a sail-vaulted ceiling, with good plasterwork to the ceiling and ground floor.

No. 11 Brunswick Street: The ground floor lobby contains a round-headed niche to the right and a tall round-arched opening leading to the stair hall, flanked by Roman Doric columns in anta, with a compartmented ceiling and good plasterwork. The former dining room has a classical black slate chimneypiece, a corniced and pilastered doorpiece, and good plasterwork including a ceiling rose. The rear room to the north has a corniced and pilastered doorpiece and good plasterwork. The first floor former drawing room, partially subdivided, retains good plasterwork including a square ceiling rose. The rear room to the north has good plasterwork including a square ceiling rose. The stairs and stair hall contain stone stairs with cast-iron balusters, a wrought iron lamp bracket to the first floor landing, and good plasterwork to the ceiling, landings and ground floor, with pilasters flanking a round-arched opening leading to the lobby.

No. 15 Brunswick Street: The ground floor lobby contains a round-headed niche to the right, a timber and glazed corniced and pilastered doorpiece, a compartmented ceiling and good plasterwork. The former dining room and rear room are connected by a large opening, featuring corniced doorpieces, good plasterwork including a deep frieze below the cornice and a ceiling rose. The first floor former drawing room and rear room are similarly connected, with corniced doorpieces and good plasterwork including a deep frieze below the cornice and ceiling rose. The stairs and stair hall contain stone stairs with cast-iron balusters, an oval cupola, and good plasterwork.

No. 17: The ground floor former dining room has good plasterwork and a black slate chimneypiece. The first floor former drawing room retains an Ionic columned grey marble chimneypiece and good plasterwork. The stairs and stair hall contain stone stairs with cast-iron balusters and an oval cupola within a compartmented sail-vaulted ceiling.