23 Ann Street, Edinburgh

This is an extensive, symmetrical terrace of townhouses built in the early 19th century, likely designed by James Milne between 1816 and 1829, with later additions to the attic space. The terrace comprises 2-storey, 3-bay townhouses with a basement, and a slightly forward-projecting, 3-storey, 6-bay central block. Historically, the terrace has included prominent front gardens.

The buildings are constructed from sandstone ashlar, with coursed squared rubble incorporating ashlar rybats at the basement level. The ground floor of the central block features rusticated ashlar. An entrance platt overhangs the basement recess, leading to the gardens. Architectural details include a banded base course, a narrow banded cill course at ground floor and a deeper, banded cill course at the first floor, featuring fluted aprons beneath the windows. A corniced eaves course tops the facades. The doorways are architraved, bracketed and corniced, each featuring a rectangular fanlight with a geometric glazing pattern. Later additions include a full-height, 3-light canted bay to number 35, with a piend-roofed dormer above, and some tile-hung dormers at the attic level.

Nos. 25 to 31 incorporate a pedimented, 3-storey, 6-bay central section flanked by slightly recessed, 2-storey, 3-bay townhouses. Ionic pilasters, spanning the first and second floors, interrupt the cill course. A banded eaves course culminates in a triangular pediment above, featuring a blind oculus at the centre and a simple block finial at the apex. Paired porches grace the central section, supported by paired fluted Greek Doric columns, a cornice, and a blocking course. The flanking townhouses are distinguished by moulded architraved first-floor windows.

The rear elevation is a mix of coursed squared rubble and random rubble, with droved ashlar rybats to lintels and cills. A later boxed dormer is visible on the rear of number 27.

The windows are timber sash and case, with a 12-pane glazing pattern to the front. The first floor of the central block features 6-over-9-pane windows. The roof is pitched with some piended gables, covered in grey slates. Corniced ashlar ridge stacks incorporate clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are also present. Low, broached ashlar walls with droved copes and gate rybats enclose the gardens along the street, topped by cast-iron railings including decorative lamp standards with large plastic bowl shades.

Internally, the townhouses showcase a decorative classical scheme, evident in the intricate plasterwork and spacious drawing rooms. Stone staircases are fitted with detailed cast iron balustrades and timber handrails, leading to cupolas with decorative plasterwork. Large drawing rooms on the ground and first floors feature decorative cornicing, ceiling roses, and marble fireplaces. Cornicing is present throughout, although less elaborate on the upper floors and in the basement. Functional window shutters remain in place.