24 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

24 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

This Grade A listed townhouse was designed by William Playfair between 1820 and 1824, with No 24 built between 1823 and the early 1830s. It forms part of an exceptionally long 121-bay palace-front terrace of townhouses, one of Edinburgh's most impressive Neoclassical compositions.

The building presents a 3-bay, 3-storey and basement elevation to the principal (north) front. The terrace as a whole features an arched and rusticated ground floor, with the centre section articulated by three 3-storey pavilions with attic storeys and Corinthian colonnaded features. To the left and right, flanking balustraded 3-storey sections lead to further pavilions with 3-storey attics and Ionic colonnades. Outer sections to left and right are 2-storey with balustrades. All houses have basements.

The material palette is sophisticated: the basement features painted droved ashlar, with V-chamfered rustication applied to the ground floor. Upper floors are of polished ashlar, while the rear elevation is predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. The principal elevation displays a clear horizontal articulation through base course, dividing bands between storeys, an impost course to the ground floor, narrow band courses to the first floor broken by windows in each bay, and band courses above the second floor. An eaves cornice and balustraded parapet complete the composition.

To the principal elevation, the ground floor contains round-headed openings within round-headed overarches. The basement to the left bay has a segmentally-headed window, while the centre bay features a timber-panelled door with a 3-light segmental fanlight. The left bay has been blocked where it previously opened to the basement. The ground floor to the left bay includes steps and a platform (shared with No 25) overarching the basement recess, leading to a timber-panelled door with flanking margin lights and segmental fanlight. The first floor windows are fitted with cast-iron balconettes. The roof is clasped between chimneys and has two canted dormer windows.

The rear (south) elevation is 3-bay with 3 storeys and basement, with a later attic storey added between the stacks. A band course divides the ground and first floors, with an eaves cornice and blocking course. A small modern flat-roofed extension adjoins the ground floor to the left bay, and a modern metal fire escape runs from the attic to ground floor.

Glazing is predominantly plate glass throughout, with 4-pane glazing predominating to the rear elevation and 12-pane glazing to the basement of the front elevation. Windows are mostly timber sash and case. The roof is flat lead with stone skews and skewputts. Corniced chimney stacks feature circular cans to left and right.

The boundary treatment includes cast-iron railings with dog bars and spear-head finials edging the basement recess and platform to the front. These railings have a distinctive circled border and are surmounted by stone coping. To the rear, a random rubble wall forming the garden boundary has predominantly flat coping.

The interior is distinguished by high-quality finishes. The ground floor entrance lobby contains a niche to the left, with a compartmented ceiling and good plasterwork, including pilastered and corniced doorpieces. The former dining room features corniced doorpieces, painted timber panelling to the lower walls, a grey marble chimneypiece, and excellent plasterwork including borders forming panels to the walls. The rear room to the west is apsidal-ended, with painted timber panelling to lower walls and good plasterwork.

The first floor includes a former drawing room and smaller front room, both with ornate plasterwork including friezes. The rear room to the west has similar plasterwork to the front rooms, a classical grey marble chimneypiece, and a corniced doorpiece. The stairs and landings feature a rectangular cupola set within a deep pilastered well, containing excellent plasterwork with frieze detailing. Cast-iron balusters line the stairs, with architrave panels to walls and good plasterwork throughout the stairs and landings.