Edinburgh, Former Parcels Office (17 Waverley Bridge) And Waverley Bridge (Excluding Waverley Steps), Waverley Station (4 Waverley Bridge)

Edinburgh, Former Parcels Office (17 Waverley Bridge) And Waverley Bridge (Excluding Waverley Steps), Waverley Station (4 Waverley Bridge)

This is an extensive city-centre late 19th century railway station, primarily located at lower street level sunk next to Princes Street Gardens. It is centred under and between Waverley Bridge and North Bridge, comprising extensive roof covering, station buildings and station infrastructure, ashlar arcaded screen walling, suburban platforms with decorative awnings and various access points to north, west and south.

The station was constructed predominantly between 1892 and 1900. W R Galbraith was consulting engineer for parliamentary plans to 1891. James Bell was chief engineer to North British Railway and was responsible for platforms, signalling and permanent way. J S Pirie was site engineer. Cunningham, Blyth and Westland (from 1893 Blyth and Westland) acted as principal structural engineers, including the roof. P and W McLellan were general contractors. Herbert Waller Raithby of Blyth and Westland was chief architectural architect responsible for the booking hall and offices. Various alterations of different dates followed.

The 3-storey booking hall and offices building, a rectangular-plan Free Renaissance structure, was designed by Herbert Waller Raithby between 1896 and 1900. It is constructed of sandstone ashlar with railway offices at upper floors. The ground floor has later alterations for retail units. The building features Giant Order pilasters, keystoned cartouches, basket-arched doorways and is flat-roofed with a central well lighting the booking hall. There is a base course and full entablature with dentil cornice above the first floor, and ashlar mullions. A clock with an 1897 cipher and emblems of Glasgow and Edinburgh is set in keystones to the east elevation. The south elevation displays a bronze panelled war memorial to North British Railway dead of the First World War. The building has a variety of openings, some of which have been altered. Glazing is predominantly timber with 15-pane upper sashes, though some reglazing has taken place.

The booking hall interior rises to 2 floors. Its facing ashlar elevations feature Giant Order pilasters including a base course, plain frieze and modillioned and egg and dart cornice. Mosaic flooring is known to exist beneath later covering. Ground floor openings to peripheral shops and ticket areas have been altered. All keystones carry cartouches, some with carved cyphers. An elaborate 9-compartment ceiling is divided by coffered mahogany bands. A central cast iron dome with geometric tracery and small cupola is supported on a drum with panels of putti and garlands. The outer glazed part features elaborate wrought iron grilles. Plaster panels in the corners carry arabesque and Rococo ornament.

The station roof is of ridge and furrow type with an aluminium cassette system incorporating laminated glass. It is supported on cast iron columns and masonry screen and retaining walls, and on the central office block. Corinthian columns on elaborate octagonal panelled bases formerly acted as downpipes to drain the roof valleys.

The former parcels office is located at street level at Waverley Bridge and was erected between 1898 and 1900. It is a single-storey building comprising 3 by 7 bays with a flat roof and classically detailed design featuring round-headed openings between paired pilasters. Its interior was converted to restaurant use around 1988.

Flanking the parcels office are 2 mirror image classically detailed carriageway ramps with lamp standards, providing access from Waverley Bridge to platform level with footpaths. Both are constructed in 2 sections with covered ends built of solid, grooved ashlar retaining walls with stepped balustrading.

The entrance from Market Street is lintelled between pilastered ashlar piers with pulvinated frieze, prominent cornice, and scrolled terminals with ball finials.

Internal high level footbridges, which have been variously altered but are primarily X-shaped and lattice girder truss construction, are supported on cast iron Roman Doric columns with octagonal panelled bases. Some ornamental wrought iron railings survive in places.

Waverley Bridge is an integral part of the station and acts as roof over the west end of the platforms. Dating to 1894–1896 and designed by Blyth and Westland engineers, it incorporates fabric from the earlier bridge including the 1870s lattice girder structure. It is a 7-span plate girder bridge with later fibreglass covering to the steel parapet. Each span is carried on 7 octagonal, tapering cast iron columns with Gothic bases and bracketed tops. The carriageway and footpaths sit on brick arches, some transverse and some longitudinal.