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Edinburgh, 451 Lawnmarket, Wardrop's Court, Blackie House

Hall Of Residence (Modern), Tenement (17th Century)

Site Name Edinburgh, 451 Lawnmarket, Wardrop's Court, Blackie House

Classification Hall Of Residence (Modern), Tenement (17th Century)

Alternative Name(s) 2, 3, 4, 5 And 6 North Bank Street

Canmore ID 52284

Site Number NT27SE 264

NGR NT 25575 73629

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/52284

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Archaeology Notes

NT27SE 264 25575 73629

A late 17th century tenement, reconstructed for Patrick Geddes in 1894 as a university hall in memory of Prof J S Blackie; turned back into flats in 1950 by Robert Hurd.

RCAHMS 1951; J Gifford, C McWilliam and D Walker 1984.

Architecture Notes

RCAHMS REFERENCE:

NMRS RIAS COLLECTION

Hurd Rolland Collection 24 drawings, 1947 -50

Bag 157 57/2

See also EDINBURGH, North Bank Street, General for views, etc of North Bank Street elevation (Nos 2-6).

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Activities

Publication Account (1951)

17. Blackie House, 451 Lawnmarket.

The tall tenement in the N. side of Lady Stair's Close, which looks out at the back to North Bank Street, dates from about the last decade of the 17th century. Towards the Close it has an elevation above the cellarage of five main storeys as well as attic and garret floors, but the fall of the site has made possible an additional storey towards the N. This has been turned into shops entered from North Bank Street, while the storey above, standing at the level of the Close, has also been remodelled internally as business premises. The upper part has been restored as a University Hall, named in memory of the late Professor Blackie, and although some novel features have been introduced it still shows much of the original arrangement and finish. The masonry is of rubble with back-set and chamfered dressings of freestone, recently harled on the side towards the Close. The centre of this S. side contains a solid-newel staircase, serving all levels and lit by two windows on each landing. Each floor on the W. of the stair has four large windows as well as a small one next the gable, but those on the E. have only two large windows in addition to a small one next the gable. In the elevation towards North Bank Street there are five large and three small windows to a storey. The tenement was entered from the Close, where two doorways, set side by side, admit to the stair. The E. one, covered by the modern forestair which has been provided for access to Blackie House, led to the lower levels and the W. one, which has a good moulded doorpiece, to those above. Every floor over the cellarage included two houses, the W. one having been the more commodious. The walls of several of the principal rooms are panelled in Memel pine and some of the fireplaces are of stone, bolection-moulded.

RCAHMS 1951

Project (1997)

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Field Visit (21 August 2002)

Two smiling (?) dragon brackets, painted green and gold, embellish the entrance to Wardrop's Court. The dragons are vertical, facing inwards, their tails curling up and inwards.

Arthur Geddes, the son of Patrick Geddes, carved the dragons. (1)

Inspected By : D. King

Inscriptions : None

Signatures : None

Design period : Early 20th century (?)

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0844)

References

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