Lord And Lady Polwarth Home For Children, 22 Colinton Road, Edinburgh

This building, originally the Lord and Lady Polwarth Home for Children, was designed by Edward Calvert in 1887. It is a two-storey and attic, three-bay rectangular villa with a rear wing and a modern extension. The front elevation is constructed of cream sandstone ashlar, while the rear and sides are of squared and snecked stugged rubble with droved ashlar dressings. A base course and eaves cornice with a horizontally reeded frieze are also present. Segmental-arched, shouldered windows are a defining feature, complemented by carved and moulded angle pilasters, with paired pilasters at the first floor and stylised capitals. The aprons of the first-floor windows are panelled.

The front (southeast) elevation features a recessed, shouldered panel in the centre bay, housing a segmental-arched doorway with panelled jambs, a two-leaf panelled door, and a plate glass fanlight. A rectangular window with recessed pilasters sits above the doorway at the first floor. A full-height canted window (1-2-1) is located on the left side, while a full-height rectangular projection with tripartite windows occupies the right. Three slender, round-arched dormers with lugged coping are set into the roof space. A large, two-storey, flat-roofed modern extension has been added to the left.

The rear (northwest) elevation features a single-storey and attic full-length wing with a mansard roof. There are segmental-arched timber attic windows, although ground floor windows have been altered. A Venetian stair window with square leaded panes is contained within a stone box dormer with a parapet, flanked by wallhead stacks to the main block. Segmental-arched timber dormers are located on either side.

The northeast elevation displays three bays with a banded cill course at ground and first floor levels. Bipartite windows are present in the outer right bay, while the centre bay has a bipartite window at ground floor and a single window at first floor. A stone box dormer with two windows and a Greek key pattern frieze is framed by scroll-flanked, panelled, and corniced wallhead stacks.

The southwest elevation incorporates a flat-roofed modern extension. A cast-iron fire escape stair is present, along with a stone box dormer with two windows and a Greek key pattern frieze framed by scroll-flanked, panelled, and corniced wallhead stacks. The windows are largely timber sash and case with plate glass glazing, although some 4-pane and metal-frame windows are found at the rear. The roof is a green slate piend and platform bellcast design with lead flashings. There are four wallhead stacks, one central stack being tall and ornamental with grooved cans. A moulded eaves gutter is also present.

The interior was not inspected in 1992.

The property includes a tall rubble boundary wall with semi-circular coping to the rear and sides, a low recessed rubble boundary wall with rounded coping to the front, square panelled gatepiers with a Greek key pattern and moulded diamond coping, and ornamental cast-iron railings and gates.