26 Brighton Place, Edinburgh

A pair of classical terraced houses, dated circa 1824 and designed by John Baxter of Portobello, situated on Brighton Place, Edinburgh. These are mirrored properties, each two storeys high with a basement, and each incorporating three bays. Flanking the main houses are single-storey pavilions, which are slightly set back.

The houses are constructed of polished ashlar stone, deeply-channelled to the ground floor; droved ashlar defines the wings and basement of number 28; the basement of number 26 has a rendered finish, while the northeast elevation and rear of number 26 are harled. The southwest elevation and rear of number 28 are finished with squared and snecked stonework. A band course separates the basement from the ground floor and the ground floor from the first floor. A cill course runs along the first floor, and a cornice and blocking course finish the elevation. The wings have coping stones.

The main (southeast) elevation features three steps leading to panelled doors (a modern door is present at number 28), with original cast-iron handrails. Deep-set rectangular fanlights and windows are positioned above each door. Window glazing is plate glass on the southeast elevation of number 26, and modern grooved glass on the southeast elevation of number 28. Windows are present on each floor of the intermediate bays. A garage door is incorporated into the northeast wing, along with a panelled door and a broad opening on the southwest wing.

The side (northwest and southeast) elevations are characterised by staircase windows set within bowed bays. The rear (northwest) elevation features blank bays in the center of each house; windows are located in the northeast and southwest wings.

The rear windows are fitted with 12-pane timber sash and case windows, while the front windows have plate glass timber sash and case windows. The roofs are grey slate, piended in style, with a platform at the apex. The front of the properties features an ashlar stack with render, while the rear of number 26 has a harled and coped wallhead stack. Number 28 has a rendered truncated wallhead stack on the southwest side and a rendered and coped wallhead stack at the rear.

Internally, plaster cornices remain in place, and shutters are present and functioning at number 24. A wooden chimneypiece is still visible in the front ground-floor room. At number 28, the shutters are still in place but now fixed; cornices are retained, but fireplaces have been removed. A steep gradient staircase with a cast iron banister runs within the bowed bay of the side elevations, with an apsidal arch above and a cornice. A ceiling rose is located in the front first-floor room.

The boundary walls are constructed of droved ashlar with coping, incorporating reproduction railings at number 26, with breaks to provide access to the garage. At number 28, modern bull-faced concrete walls are present, broken to the left to allow access to the rear, where a freestanding, harled garage is situated.