26 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh

Regent Terrace, Edinburgh: A Grade A Listed Building

William Playfair designed this terrace in 1825 and it was built between 1826 and 1833. Number 26 forms part of a long terrace of 34 classical townhouses arranged in three-bay units. The terrace originally consisted of two storeys with attic and basement levels, though many properties, including this one, received additional third storeys at a later date. The composition is punctuated by two larger pavilion sections containing three storeys with three-bay advanced end sections (at Nos 11–16 and 23–28) and a twelve-bay three-storey section at the western end (Nos 1–4). The entire terrace steps down at intervals to follow the slope of the road.

The basement is finished in droved ashlar, with polished ashlar used to the upper floors. The rear elevation is predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins.

The principal south-east elevation is distinguished by careful classical detailing. A base course runs along the basement level, with dividing bands separating the basement from the ground floor and the ground floor from the first floor. Between the first and second floors runs another dividing band and cornice. The first floor features a continuous cast-iron trellis balcony with a Greek key border. A second-floor cill course and eaves cornice complete the elevation, with a blocking course at the top. The doorpiece is painted and displays fluted attached Greek Doric columns. Windows are regularly arranged across the principal elevation, with architraved surrounds to ground and first-floor windows and panelled aprons below the ground-floor windows. The rear elevation maintains regular fenestration throughout.

The basement of the principal elevation contains a timber-panelled door at its centre, set within a segmentally-headed opening and topped by a three-light fanlight. A window opens to the left bay. To the right, the area under the basement platt has been blocked in by a wall containing two windows. At ground-floor level, the right bay features steps and a platt overarching the basement recess and leading to a two-leaf timber-panelled door with a triple-circle glazed letterbox fanlight.

The north-west rear elevation is a two-bay composition, with a fourth storey added at a later date. A full-height canted bay rises to the right, while the right bay at ground-floor level contains a modern extension. An eaves course runs along the roofline.

The glazing is predominantly twelve-pane, with fifteen-pane glazing used to the first floor of the front elevation and plate glass to the right bay of the rear elevation. Most windows are timber sash and case frames. The roof is an M-roof with a central valley, finished in graded grey slate with stone skews and skewputts. Corniced mutual ridge stacks run to the east and west, each preceded by individual octagonal flues fronting the building, with predominantly circular cans to the rear.

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. A wrought-iron lamp standard stands to the front. At the rear, a random rubble boundary wall with predominantly flat coping encloses the garden.

The interior of the ground floor contains a lobby with a small timber inner vestibule fitted with a glazed door and classically detailed timber panelling to the walls, including two mirrors. A screen of pilasters and polished granite Ionic columns divides this space, with simple plasterwork and a coffered ceiling of modern painted decoration. The former dining room features a classical black marble chimneypiece, pilastered and corniced doorpieces, and a compartmented ceiling with gilded shallow relief mouldings to the caissons, complemented by excellent plasterwork. The rear western room retains good plasterwork, though a window has been enlarged to form an opening to the modern extension.

The first floor contains three principal rooms. The front eastern room has a grey marble chimneypiece and simple plasterwork. The former drawing room to the west features a grey marble chimneypiece, pilastered and corniced doorpieces, and two-leaf folding doors opening to the rear room. The walls carry moulded borders framing Anaglypta-style wall covering, and the compartmented ceiling displays good plasterwork with a gilt pier glass. The rear western room on this floor has a grey classical marble chimneypiece, pilastered and corniced doorpieces, and good plasterwork throughout, including to the ceiling.

The second floor rear western room contains a pilastered and corniced doorpiece and simple plasterwork.

Stone cantilevered stairs with replica cast-iron balusters rise through the building. The walls of the stairs and landings are finished with Anaglypta-style wall covering below dado height and forming borders above. A rectangular cupola sits within a compartmented ceiling, while the stairwell ceiling and landings display simple plasterwork.