Garage, 45 Spylaw Bank Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Sir Robert Lorimer, 1901; probably later additions circa 1935 (see notes). 2-storey, irregular plan house with stepped entrance front forming forecourt to N with arched square entrance tower in main re-entrant angle; small turret to E elevation; S elevation with swept roof over central verandah and flanking advanced gables; very irregular W elevation with gabled and swept-roofed sections. Painted harl over sandstone rubble; roughly coursed sandstone to entrance tower; roll- moulded sandstone ashlar cills. Rubble base course; some sections jettied out at 1st floor; exposed stone and small slits to most gable apexes.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: stepped frontage with L-plan house to left and (later) gabled service wing advanced to outer right. Entrance tower to left re-entrant angle; arch to red tiled interior porch at ground; elongated keystone and voussoirs to arch; 3 stone diamonds above; bipartite window at 1st floor. Single window at rear of porch; 2-leaf timber panelled door with leaded lights in top panels; roll-moulded sandstone ashlar architrave with long and short tabs. Boat-shaped dormer to left of entrance; irregular fenestration to right. Jerkin-headed gable to central section; paired sash windows at ground with continuous cill; bipartite casements at 1st floor and attic. Asymmetric gable advanced to outer left with gablehead stack; irregularly fenestrated; timber-boarded side door to left return.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: regularly fenestrated round turret to right, jettied out at 1st floor; asymmetric gable to left with bipartite casements at both floors; wallhead stack between. Blind recessed section to outer left.

S (PRINCIPAL GARDEN) ELEVATION: advanced gables to left and right jettied out at 1st floor with bell-cast roofs; quadripartite casements at ground; bipartite casements above. Swept-roofed section over central verandah. Roof supported on central stone column and corbels to sides. Canted bay window to rear of verandah; half-glazed timber panelled door to side; bipartite piend-roofed dormer to roof above.

W (SIDE GARDEN) ELEVATION: irregularly placed advanced and recessed gabled and swept-roofed sections from left to right as follows: asymmetric gable to outer left with 2 bipartite windows at ground and casement above; piend-roofed section with roof swept low over advanced verandah, flat-roofed dormer to attic, irregular fenestration to right return; well-recessed bay with half-glazed door at ground, 2 casements under eaves with continuous cill; roof swept down to slightly advanced single-storey bay with 4-light window; advanced gable to right with bell-cast roof and jettied-out 1st floor, bipartite dormers to both floors; recessed blind section to outer right.

Predominantly timber casements with leaded lights; some small-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Coped stacks (some shouldered) with tall red and yellow clay cans. Red tile roof with plain red ridge tiles. Cast-iron rainwater goods with 1 decorative hopper to E.

INTERIOR: fairly plain pine banister to staircase with very decorative plasterwork to ceiling above; sloping ceiling featuring signs of the zodiac around a central sun with the moon and a shooting star to the top corners and groups of stars to the bottom corners; freize of blooming foliage inhabited by birds below; vine motifs around landing ceiling.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GARDEN TERRACE: flat ashlar-coped random rubble boundary wall; corniced cylindrical rubble gatepiers with domed caps to N, flanking footgate with no gatepiers; footgate opposite front door with square gatepiers. Garden terrace to S of house with random rubble retaining walls and stone steps to centre.

GARAGE: large mid-20th century garage with half-glazed timber boarded folding doors and jerkin-headed roof, possibly incorporating earlier fabric.

Statement of Interest

Previously listed as 47 Spylaw Bank Road. The house was originally called The Glebe, and was built for S.C. Thompson Esq. This is one of the largest houses that Lorimer built in Colinton, and the plasterwork over the staircase is extremely fine. Like most of the Lorimer houses in Colinton, this house is set back to the North of its site so that the principal rooms, which face South, overlook as much of the garden as possible. However, the house is unusual in that the service wing is situated to the West, rather than the East of the house. From looking at the map, it seems that the NW corner has been extended. The West-facing gable at this corner seems to be an addition, and the first floor of the North-facing gable is probably an addition as well. It is likely that this bay was formerly a kitchen courtyard with a flat-coped wall surrounding a lean-to coal shed and other offices. Such courtyards are common features of Lorimer's Colinton houses, and good examples are to be found at 1 Pentland Avenue, 49 Spylaw Bank Road and 40 Pentland Avenue.

External Links

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