19 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

19 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

This is a Grade A listed townhouse, part of a long classical terrace designed by William Playfair in 1825 and built between 1826 and 1833. The terrace comprises 34 classical townhouses arranged in three-bay units, originally two storeys with attic and basement levels, though many have been heightened with additional third storeys. The terrace is punctuated by two larger pavilions (Nos 11–16 and 23–28), each comprising 18 bays and three storeys with three-bay advanced sections at each end, and a 12-bay, three-storey section at the western end (Nos 1–4). The terrace is stepped down at intervals to follow the slope of the road.

The principal south-east elevation displays droved ashlar to the basement and polished ashlar to the upper floors. The rear elevation is predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. The principal elevation is articulated by a base course; a dividing band between basement and ground floor; a dividing band and cornice between ground and first floors; a continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with Greek key border to the first floor; a band course dividing first and second floors; an eaves cornice; and a blocking course. The doorpiece is composed of fluted attached Greek Doric columns. Windows are regular and architraved to the ground and first floors, with panelled aprons to the ground floor windows. The rear elevation displays predominantly regular fenestration.

The basement of the principal elevation contains, to the centre bay, a timber-panelled and glazed door with a three-light fanlight in a segmentally-headed opening and a window to the left bay. To the right is an area beneath a platt blocked by a wall with a bipartite window. The ground floor features, to the right bay, steps and a platt overarching the basement recess leading to a two-leaf timber-panelled door with a letterbox fanlight.

The north-west rear elevation is a two-bay elevation with glazed doors to the first floor right bay leading to external metal stairs, and an eaves course.

Glazing comprises four-pane windows to the basement and first floor of the front elevation; plate glass to the remainder of the front elevation; and predominantly twelve-pane glazing to the rear elevation. The first floor front elevation features sixteen-pane glazing to the right bay of the rear elevation. Glazing is predominantly set in timber sash and case windows.

The roof is an M-roof with a central valley and mansard profile to the front, covered in graded grey slate with stone skews and skewputts. To the east and west are corniced mutual ridge stacks preceded by individual octagonal flues to the front; to the rear is a small wallhead stack to the centre; stacks are predominantly finished with circular cans.

The front railings edge the basement recess and platt with stone coping surmounted by cast-iron railings featuring dog bars, spear-head finials and a distinctive circled border. To the left of the platt is a wrought-iron lamp standard. To the rear, a random rubble boundary wall with predominantly flat coping encloses the garden.

The interior has been subdivided into flats. The ground floor lobby features architraved panels to the walls and good plasterwork including putti bas-reliefs to the upper walls, a compartmented ceiling, and a corniced and pilastered doorpiece. The former dining room contains a grey marble classical chimneypiece with good plasterwork. The western rear room features a black marble classical chimneypiece with good simple plasterwork, while the eastern rear room contains a plaster relief of an angel.

The first floor former drawing room displays excellent plasterwork and a grey marble classical chimneypiece with tiled cheeks and a part-gilded ornate overmantel mirror, possibly original; a part-gilded pier glass between the windows is also possibly original. The rear room contains a grey marble chimneypiece with good plasterwork and a part-gilded mirror to the wall.

The second floor includes a bathroom with a coffin bath and a contemporary enclosed shower compartment.

Stone cantilevered stairs with cast-iron balusters connect the floors. The first floor landing features a cast-iron tray rest with wrought-iron brackets, plaster putti reliefs to the side, and a rectangular cupola in a compartmented ceiling. Plasterwork throughout is simple. The stairs at ground floor have been altered due to subdivision.