11 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

11 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh

A Grade listed townhouse designed by William Playfair between 1820 and 1824, with Nos 11 and 12 constructed between 1823 and the early 1830s. The building forms part of an exceptionally long 121-bay palace front terrace of townhouses with a rusticated and arched ground floor. The centre features a 3-storey section punctuated by three 3-storey pavilions with attic storeys and Corinthian colonnades. To the left and right, flanking 3-storey balustraded sections lead to 3-storey sections with 3-storey pavilions of attic storeys and Ionic colonnades. Two-storey balustraded sections occupy the outer left and right, with basements beneath all houses.

The principal elevation employs droved ashlar to the basement, V-chamfered rustication to the ground floor, and polished ashlar to the upper floors. The rear elevation displays predominantly coursed squared rubble with dressed margins. Horizontal division courses run between the basement and ground floor, between ground and first floors, and a narrow band course to the first floor broken by windows to each bay. A base course, dividing band, and impost course articulate the ground floor. Fenestration is regular throughout both principal and rear elevations, with round-headed openings and overarches to the ground floor.

The principal elevation of No 11 comprises 3 bays of 2 storeys, basement and attic; No 12 has 3 bays of 3 storeys and basement. To the basement of No 11, a timber-panelled door with segmental 3-light fanlight occupies the centre, with windows in the left and right bays. No 12's basement contains a timber and glazed door with 3-light fanlight to the centre and a window to the left, all in segmentally-headed openings; a window to the right in a segmentally-headed opening blocks off the area beneath the platt. The ground floor of No 11's left bay features steps and a platt overarching the basement recess, leading to a timber-panelled door with flanking margin lights and segmental fanlight. Windows occupy the remaining bays. To No 12's right bay, steps and platt lead to a timber-panelled door with flanking 4-light margin lights and a segmental fanlight with petal-style glazing. Cast-iron balconettes adorn the first floor windows. A band course sits below the eaves; an eaves cornice and balustraded parapet crown the elevation. Two dormer windows pierce the roof to No 11.

The rear elevation shows 3 bays to No 11 and 2 bays to No 12, with band courses between basement and ground floors and between ground and first floors, an eaves cornice, and a blocking course.

Glazing is predominantly 12-pane throughout, though the front elevation displays plate glass to ground and first floors of No 11, 17-pane glazing to the ground floor and 15-pane glazing to the first floor of No 12. All glazing is contained in timber sash and case windows. The double-pitch roof features central valleys with a mansard profile to the front elevation, finished in graded grey slate. The front elevation has a mutual raised wallhead stack to the centre and mutual corniced ashlar ridge stacks to the left and right, all surmounted by linked octagonal flues. The rear elevation contains a rendered corniced ridge stack to the left, a raised ashlar mutual wallhead stack to the centre and right, and predominantly circular cans throughout.

Boundary treatments comprise stone coping surmounted by cast-iron railings with dog bars and spear-head finials edging the basement recesses and platts to the front; a distinctive circled border ornaments the railings. A wrought-iron gas lamp standard is present. The rear boundary consists of high random rubble walling with flat coping, forming the garden boundary.

The interior of No 11 includes, to the ground floor, a lobby with encaustic tiled floor, a round-headed niche to the left, and a compartmented ceiling with good ornamental plasterwork and shallow-relief panel borders to the walls. This opens to a stair hall with a pilastered and corniced doorpiece with margin lights. The former dining room features corniced doorpieces, good plasterwork, and a classical black slate chimneypiece. The rear western room is apsidal-ended with good plasterwork and a classical black slate chimneypiece. The first floor contains subdivided rooms with two classical white chimneypieces and some good plasterwork. The stairs and landings feature cast-iron balusters, a cast-iron tray rest to the first floor, an oval cupola in a compartmented ceiling, and good plasterwork to the landings and stairwell ceiling.

No 12's ground floor lobby contains a round-headed niche to the right and a compartmented ceiling, leading to a stair hall with a pilastered and corniced doorpiece with margin lights featuring good plasterwork including three plaster bas-reliefs. The former dining room has corniced doorpieces. The rear western room features an apsidal end, a classical black slate chimneypiece, good plasterwork, and architraved panels to the walls. The first floor former drawing room and rear western room contain classical grey marble chimneypieces, corniced doorpieces, and good plasterwork, some of which is hidden beneath suspended ceilings. The stairs and landings display cast-iron balusters, a cast-iron tray rest to the second floor landing, an oval cupola in a compartmented ceiling, and good plasterwork to the ceiling and landings.