42 Colinton Road, Edinburgh

Circa 1875-80, 2-storey rectangular-plan villa, raised to include attic by MacGibbon & Ross, 1901. 3-bay villa with rear wings, large mordern addition to SW. Grey sandstone (cream to later top floor), ashlar front, squared and snecked rubble sides and rear, droved quoins. Chamfered reveals; band course above ground floor; banded cill course at 1st floor; band course to 1st floor windows; eaves cornice below attic storey; channelled quoins to front and porch, pedimented dormer windows breaking eaves. SE (FRONT) ELEVATION: closed single storey recessed ashlar entrance porch to right with round-arched keystoned doorway, 2 round-arched keystoned windows on return, stone parapet with balustraded front. Main elevation with 2 single windows to ground floor of central bay; bipartite window at 1st floor above. Outer bays comprised of balustraded canted window at ground floor; bipartite windows at 1st floor above; 3 dormer windows. NW (REAR) ELEVATION: deep lower 2-storey full length rear wings of different dates (wing to left rendered) with unevenly arranged windows and dormer windows breaking eaves. 2 tall central stair windows (lower obscured by extension), upper window breaking eaves with pedimented dormerhead flanked by wallhead stacks; dormer windows in outer bays. NE ELEVATION: entrance porch at ground floor; 2 single windows at 1st floor above; attic storey with central corniced wallhead stack and bull's-eye window; dormer windows in outer bays. Small lean-to extension and bipartite window to rear wing, dormer above. SW ELEVATION: large 2-storey modern addition; 3 dormer windows and wallhead stack to right of centre of main block. Timber sash and case windows, plate glass glazing to front elevation, mostly 4-pane windows to rear and sides; slate piend and platform bell-cast roof with decorative cast-iron brattishing, lead flashings; 4 wallhead stacks (see above); moulded eaves gutter. INTERIOR: fine stained glass windows by Henry Holiday, 1902. 'Oberon and Titania' to vestibule door, 'Science' and 'Art and Charity' to stair windows.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: high rubble wall with semi-circular coping to rear and sides, recessed rubble wall with saddleback coping to front (rebuilt), main gatepiers with moulded panels, swagged frieze and dentilled cornice, banded end piers with ball finials.