30 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

30 Regent Terrace is a significant example of a late Georgian townhouse designed by William Playfair and built between 1826 and 1833, as part of a long terrace of 34 classical townhouses. The terrace is situated on a sloping road and incorporates two distinctive pavilions and a western section. While many townhouses have been altered with the addition of a third storey, number 30 retains its original two-storey and attic appearance.

The architecture is characterized by painted droved ashlar at basement level, polished ashlar for the upper floors, and coursed squared rubble with dressed margins to the rear. A continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border features on the front elevation. The principal elevation displays a base course, dividing bands, a cornice, and an eaves cornice, with a doorpiece composed of fluted attached Greek Doric columns. Windows are architraved on the ground and first floors, with panelled aprons to the ground floor.

The front elevation’s central bay features a timber-panelled and glazed door with a four-light fanlight, and basement windows to either side. A further entrance on the right features steps and a platt leading to a recessed area with a two-leaf timber-panelled door and letterbox fanlight. The rear elevation presents a simpler two-bay design with an eaves course.

The windows are predominantly fitted with 12-pane glazing, with 15-pane glazing to the first floor front windows, all within timber sash and case frames. The roof is an M-roof with a central valley and a mansard profile to the front, covered with graded grey slate, and featuring stone skews and skewputts. Chimneys are prominent, with octagonal flues leading to predominantly circular cans. A cast-iron downpipe with ornamental brackets and a hopper is also situated on the front.

The front garden is enclosed by stone copings and cast-iron railings incorporating dog bars, spear-head finials, and a circled border, with a wrought iron lamp standard on the left. A random rubble boundary wall defines the rear garden.

The interior retains many original features. The ground floor lobby includes a geometric tiled floor, good plasterwork, a compartmented ceiling, a screen of pilasters and fluted Doric columns, and a black slate chimneypiece in the former dining room. The first-floor front drawing room features moulded borders, a compartmented ceiling, and good plasterwork. A rear room boasts a classical grey marble chimneypiece. The stone cantilevered staircase has cast-iron balusters, and an oval cupola within a sail-vaulted ceiling, alongside further decorative plasterwork to the stairwell ceiling and landings.