1 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

William Playfair, designed 1825 (redesigned 1831; see Notes), built 1831-1833. Part of long terrace of 34 classical 3-bay (4-bay to basement) townhouses; originally 2-storey, basement and attic elevations (many have additional later 3rd storeys; the 3rd storey to 1 Regent Terrace was an element of Playfair's 1831 design) punctuated by 2 18-bay, 3-storey pavilions with 3-bay advanced sections to each end (Nos 11-16 and 23-28) and with 12-bay, 3-storey section to the western end (Nos 1-4); terrace stepped down at intervals to follow slope of road. Droved ashlar to basement; polished ashlar to upper floors; predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins to rear elevation; rendered side elevation. To principal elevation: base course; dividing band between basement and ground floor; dividing band and cornice between ground and 1st floors; to 1st floor, continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with Greek key border; band above 1st floor windows (excluding pavilions); main cornice dividing 1st and 2nd floors; eaves cornice; blocking course. Doorpieces of fluted attached Greek Doric columns. Regular fenestration to principal elevation; architraved windows to ground, 1st and 2nd floors; panelled aprons to ground floor windows; predominantly regular fenestration to rear elevation.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3-storey and basement elevation. To basement, timber panelled door with 4-light fanlight to 2nd bay from left, windows to remaining bays. To ground floor, to left bay, steps and platt overarching basement recess leading to 2-leaf timber-panelled door with letterbox fanlight.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: advanced bay to centre with tripartite blind window with small central opening to 1st floor and 3 windows to 2nd floor. Band course and cornice dividing ground and 1st floor, on return from front elevation to right bay only.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: 2-bay elevation with 2-storey piend-roofed mutual (with No 2) outshoot to left bay. Eaves course.

GLAZING etc: predominantly plate glass; to principal elevation, 12-pane glazing to basement; glazing predominantly in timber sash and case windows. Part piended, part M-roof with central valley; graded grey slate; stone skews and skewputts. To E, ashlar wallhead stack; to W, rendered corniced mutual ridge stack; predominantly circular cans.

RAILINGS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: to front, edging basement recess and platt, stone coping surmounted by cast-iron railings with dog bars, spear-head finials and distinctive circled border. To rear, forming boundary of garden, random rubble walls with predominantly flat coping.