15 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

15 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

This is a townhouse forming part of the monumental Royal Terrace, a 121-bay palace-front terrace of townhouses designed by William Playfair from 1820 to 1824. Number 15 was constructed in the 1860s.

The terrace is architecturally unified with an arched and rusticated ground floor, a central three-storey section punctuated by three three-storey pavilions with attic storeys and Corinthian colonnades, and flanking three-storey balustraded sections leading to pavilions with three-storey and attic storeys and Ionic colonnades. Two-storey balustraded sections occupy the outer edges. All houses have basements. The basement features painted droved ashlar; the ground floor has V-chamfered rustication; upper floors are of polished ashlar. The rear elevation is predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. Horizontal bands and courses divide the principal elevation at basement, ground, and first floors, with a narrow band course between first and second floors broken by windows to each bay. Fenestration is regular to both principal and rear elevations; ground floor openings are round-headed in round-headed overarches.

Principal North Elevation

The three-bay, three-storey elevation with basement and attic has segmentally-headed basement windows to left and centre bays, with a timber-panelled door with three-light fanlight to the right bay. The ground floor features a timber-panelled door with segmental fanlight to the right bay, accessed by steps and a platt overarching the basement recess. The first floor has cast-iron balconettes to windows and giant attached Corinthian columns dividing bays and supporting the entablature between second and attic floors. Pilasters divide bays at attic level. An eaves cornice and blocking course complete the elevation.

Rear South Elevation

The two-bay, three-storey elevation with basement and attic includes a canted bay window to the right bay spanning basement, ground, and first floors, and a tripartite window to the second floor. A masonry, timber, and glazed extension is positioned to the basement and ground floor at the far right. Band courses divide the ground and first floors, and the second and attic floors. Two rooflights open to the roof. The eaves cornice and blocking course mirror the principal elevation.

Roof and Fixtures

The platform roof is graded grey slate and lead with stone skews and skewputts. A mutual ridge stack sits to the east; a corniced gable-head stack sits to the west. Stacks are predominantly fitted with circular cans.

Railings and Boundaries

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

Glazing

Predominantly plate glass is used throughout. The second floor and attic to the principal elevation have four-pane glazing; the left bay to the rear elevation has eight-pane glazing. All glazing is set in timber sash and case windows.

Interior

The ground floor lobby features an encaustic tiled floor, architraved wall panels, and elaborate plasterwork. A timber and glazed screen with two-leaf doors leads to the stair hall, which displays elaborate plasterwork. The former dining room and rear room have classical black slate chimneypieces and ornate plasterwork to cornices and ceilings; a doorway with two-leaf folding doors connects these rooms.

The first floor former drawing room contains a classical grey marble chimneypiece and ornate plasterwork to cornices and ceilings. The rear room (east) also features ornate plasterwork.

The stairs and landings are fitted with cast-iron balusters and display ornate plasterwork. The first floor landing features Corinthian columns and pilasters; the second floor landing has Ionic columns and pilasters. The stairwell ceiling is part-cavetto with a large glazed light at the centre.