25 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

A substantial townhouse built between 1826 and 1833 to a design by William Playfair, as part of a long terrace of 34 classical townhouses. The building is located on Regent Terrace in Edinburgh. Originally two storeys with an attic and basement, many of the houses have later additions of a third storey. The terrace incorporates two prominent three-storey pavilions with advanced three-bay sections at each end (numbering 11-16 and 23-28), and a twelve-bay, three-storey section forming the western end (numbering 1-4). The terrace steps down at intervals to follow the slope of the road.

The exterior is constructed with droved ashlar to the basement, polished ashlar to the upper floors, and predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins to the rear. The principal elevation features a base course, dividing bands between the basement and ground floor, and between the ground and first floors. A continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border runs along the first floor, while a cill course, eaves cornice, and blocking course complete the elevation. A painted doorpiece comprised of fluted attached Greek Doric columns provides the main entrance. The fenestration is regular, with architraved windows to the ground and first floors and panelled aprons to the ground floor windows. The rear elevation has predominantly regular fenestration.

The southeast (principal) elevation is three storeys and includes a basement. A flush timber door with a three-light fanlight is centrally positioned in the basement, alongside a window to the left and a blocked-in area with two windows to the right. The ground floor features steps and a platt (with out-of-character surfacing) leading to a recessed area with a two-leaf timber panelled door incorporating a letterbox fanlight.

The northwest (rear) elevation is two bays wide, with a ground floor extension to the right.

The windows predominantly contain 12 panes of glass, with plate glass to the ground and first floors of the front elevation. The glazing is mainly within timber sash and case windows. The roof is M-shaped, featuring a central valley, graded grey slate, stone skews, and skewputts. Corniced mutual ridge stacks are present at the east and west, each preceded on the front by individual octagonal flues and predominantly circular cans.

Stone coping with cast-iron railings featuring dog bars, spear-head finials, and a distinctive circled border edges the basement recess and platt at the front. A random rubble boundary wall with flat coping defines the rear garden.

The interior has been subdivided into flats. The ground floor lobby is divided into two sections. The first floor features a geometric tiled floor, good plasterwork, and an altered corniced timber screen. A smaller section of the second floor exhibits simple cornicing and a screen of fluted Doric columns and pilasters. A former dining room contains good plasterwork, a classical chimneypiece and pilastered doorpieces. A rear room on the west side features a simple cornice and an opening to the front room within a basket-arched recess. A stone cantilevered staircase with ornate cast-iron balusters ascends within the building, with a cast-iron tray rest on the first floor. A rectangular cupola is set within a compartmented ceiling, while good plasterwork adorns the ceilings and landings. A round-headed niche is located in the stair hall to the ground floor.