4 Darnaway Street, Edinburgh

A Grade listed building comprising a major classical terrace designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822.

The main composition consists of a 21-bay near-symmetrical classical terrace of 3 storeys with basement. This comprises a 12-bay linking terrace flanked by a pair of terminal pavilions: a 4-bay pavilion to the east and a 5-bay pavilion to the west, both rising to 4 storeys with basement.

The building is constructed in polished ashlar sandstone with V-jointed rustication at principal floor level. Features include a base course, band course between basement and principal floor, cill courses at the 1st and 2nd floors, and cornices with blocking courses at the 2nd floor of the linking block. The terminal pavilions have cornices at their 2nd floors and cornices with blocking courses at the 3rd floors. Ashlar steps and entrance platts overhang the basement.

Principal Elevation - Linking Terrace

The north elevation comprises four 3-bay houses. Four-panel timber doors (2-leaf at Nos 3 and 4) are positioned in the bays flanking the centre and in the 3rd bays from the outer edges, each with plate glass rectangular fanlights. The remaining bays at principal floor level contain windows, with regular fenestration continuing to the floors above. A flagged basement area runs along the front.

Terminal Pavilions

The east terminal pavilion (No 2) features Doric pilasters flanking bays at the 1st and 2nd floors, with panelled pilasters at the 3rd floor. At principal floor level, a 4-panel timber door with wrought-iron screens over glazed upper panels and a blind radial semicircular fanlight is positioned in the bay to the right of centre. Blind windows in round-arched recesses occupy the bays to the left of centre and at the outer left, with blind windows continuing to the floors above in these bays. A windowed round-arched recess appears in the bay to the outer right at principal floor, with regular fenestration in the bays to the right of centre and outer right to the floors above.

The west terminal pavilion (No 12) similarly has Doric pilasters at the 1st and 2nd floors and panelled pilasters at the 3rd floor. A 4-panel timber common stair door with a blind semicircular fanlight is centred at principal floor level. Windows in round-arched recesses appear in the bays to the left and outer left, while blind windows in round-arched recesses occupy the bays to the right and outer right. Regular fenestration to the floors above includes blind windows in the bay to the outer right at the 1st and 2nd floors. A flagged basement area runs along this elevation.

Returns

The Wemyss Place return to the east terminal pavilion comprises 5 bays (becoming 11 Wemyss Bay). It features Doric pilasters flanking bays at the 1st and 2nd floors and panelled pilasters at the 3rd floor. A 4-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight is centred at principal floor level, with windows in round-arched recesses in the remaining bays at this level and regular fenestration to the floors above.

The Moray Place return to the west terminal pavilion comprises 4 bays (becoming 50 Moray Place). It has Doric pilasters at the 1st and 2nd floors and panelled pilasters at the 3rd floor. A 4-panel timber door with radial semicircular fanlight is positioned in the bay to the right of centre at principal floor level, with windows in round-arched recesses in the remaining bays and regular fenestration to the floors above.

Fenestration and Roof

Windows throughout are predominantly 15-pane timber sash and case windows. The roofs are of grey slate in an M-profile. Cast-iron rainwater goods are in place. Ridge and wallhead stacks are of broached ashlar and rendered construction, some with cornices, and are coped with circular cans.

Interior

The interiors were not inspected in 1998, but evidence of working panelled shutters was noted.

Railings and Street Furniture

Ashlar copes surmount cast-iron railings with spear-headed and other decorative finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes are installed.

Mews

8-10 Wemyss Place Mews (inclusive) is a 19th-century row of three 2-storey mews buildings of coursed rubble construction with long and short quoins.

The principal south-west elevation comprises four bays. An advanced modern doorpiece at the outer right of ground floor (No 10) contains 2-leaf vertically boarded timber doors with glazed upper panels and a 3-pane rectangular fanlight, corniced with a small light to the left. Modern folding garage doors with stone lintels occupy the remaining bays at ground floor. Three central windows at the 1st floor are gabletted, breaking the eaves, with a bipartite window at the centre. Smaller windows appear at the outer left and right.

The east elevation is a blank gable. Fenestration is predominantly timber sash and case, though the window to the outer left at the 1st floor has a later metal window guard. The roof is of grey slate in a piended profile, with cast-iron rainwater goods. Ridge stacks are coped with circular cans.