44 Moray Place, Edinburgh

44 Moray Place, Edinburgh

A grand palace block designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822, comprising four storeys above a basement. The building sits on sloping ground and presents a symmetrical classical composition on its principal north-west elevation. The architectural treatment is sophisticated and carefully articulated across the facades.

The main structure employs polished ashlar sandstone throughout, with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor level. Horizontal bands and cornices mark the composition: a base course runs along the foundation, a band course separates basement from principal floor, corniced friezes sit at impost level at the central and terminal pavilions, a cill course defines the first floor, and progressively more elaborate cornicing appears at the second and third floors, topped with blocking courses. Ashlar steps and entrance platforms project over the basement areas.

The Principal Elevation

The north-west facade is organised as a complex symmetrical composition. At its heart stands an advanced nine-bay central pavilion, where the central three bays are set forward again. This central section is flanked by engaged Doric columns at the first and second floors, with a blank pediment crowning the composition above. The outer bays of this pavilion are also advanced and similarly columned.

Central to the leftmost bay sits a four-panel timber door with a plate glass semicircular fanlight. To the outer left and right, matching four-panel doors feature decorative and plate glass semicircular fanlights respectively. The fenestration at principal floor level includes round-arched recessed windows in the centre and right-of-centre bays, with regular rectangular windows filling the remaining bays. The upper floors follow regular patterns of sash-and-case windows, though the third floor centre contains a deliberate blank bay.

Flanking the central pavilion are two three-bay linking blocks (Nos 45 and 49), each containing a four-panel timber door with plate glass rectangular fanlights at principal floor level, with regular fenestration above. A two-leaf variant of this door design appears at No 45.

The outer extremities comprise a pair of splayed four-bay terminal pavilions. These are articulated by Doric pilasters flanking bays at the first and second floors, with panelled pilasters at the third floor. Each terminal pavilion carries a four-panel timber door with a radial semicircular fanlight positioned to the right of centre at principal floor level, round-arched recessed windows in the remaining bays, and regular upper-floor fenestration.

Detailing and Fenestration

The windows are predominantly timber sash-and-case types. Distinctive anthemion and palmette window guards ornament the first-floor bays throughout, except at Nos 44 and 50; No 50 substitutes decorative iron window guards in these positions. The roofs are finished in grey slate with M-profiles. Two lead-roofed rectangular dormers appear at No 45. Cast-iron rainwater goods distribute throughout. Ridge and wallhead stacks show variety, topped with circular cans where they meet the corniced wallhead.

Basement and Street Frontage

A flagged basement area extends beneath each major section of the facade.

The building extends around corners into adjacent streets: the west terminal pavilion links to 11 Forres Street (separately listed), and the east terminal pavilion connects to 12 Darnaway Street (separately listed). Both return elevations comprise five bays.

Railings and Forecourt

The forecourt is bounded by ashlar copes surmounted by cast-iron railings with fleur-de-lis finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes punctuate the boundary.

Interiors

The interiors were not surveyed at the time of listing assessment in 1998.

Associated Mews Buildings

Two nineteenth-century mews buildings occupy 6 and 7 Wemyss Place Mews, stepped down to the right. Built from coursed rubble with polished ashlar dressings, each comprises two storeys across two bays.

The principal south-east elevations feature modern folding garage doors at ground floor with stone lintels, and an irregular arrangement of modern windows at first-floor level. Casement windows of various types are employed, with grey slate roofs. No 6 features a pair of modern raised skylights and tall brick stacks to its rear, coped with circular cans. Coped skews finish the gable ends.