Description

Later 18th century with later additions and alterations (principally in 1855, when pavilions were added). 2-storey with attic and basement, 3-bay single pile classical house with later single bay flanking pavilions. Squared sandstone with droved ashlar dressings (SE elevation; 3-bay central section); sandstone with polished ashlar dressings to canted windows of pavilions; rubble side with droved ashlar dressings to side and rear elevations; later harled addition to N corner (rear, to outer left). Eaves course to 3-bay central section; base course, band course between levels, cill course to canted windows to pavilions; pilaster quoins, cornice and blocking course to pavilions.

SE ELEVATION: 8 ashlar steps with ornamental cast-iron sweeping handrail to deep-set consoled and pedimented panelled door with rectangular plate glass fanlight above. "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord" carved on plaque to lintel. Window at 1st floor with pediment above; roundel and pedestal finial to pediment. Window at basement; Venetian window at ground, window at 1st floor above to each of flanking bays. Cornice and blocking course overlapping central section. Pavilion bays slightly advanced; canted window to each with windows at basement and ground.

SW ELEVATION: 2 windows at ground.

NW ELEVATION: half-piended sandstone single storey addition to centre with boarded door to SW return elevation, window to NW. Stair window above (slightly off-line). Irregularly disposed windows to outer bays to each floor (including basement). Bipartite window and boarded porch to right (SW) pavilion. Window to left (NE) pavilion and 2-storey harled addition to outer left with further monopitch single storey addition.

NE ELEVATION: window to centre at basement and to outer right; window at ground to right.

Variety of timber sash and case windows- 12-lying-pane windows to basement of SE elevation; lying-pane windows to canted windows to pavilions and to side elevations. Piended slate roof with swept eaves; pavilions half-piended. Piended canted dormers to outer bays of central 3 bays. Modern skylight to centre and to right pavilion; 2-pane skylight to centre of NW elevation. Ashlar coped stack and rendered stack flanking bay to centre. Rendered shouldered wallhead stack to centre of SW and NE elevation. Rainwater hopper of SW pavilion to rear with 1855.

INTERIOR: hall continuous along SE with fine plasterwork. Panelled doors, shutters and timber stair banisters in situ. High-relief plasterwork to pavilions. White marble chimneypiece to SW pavilion principal room; black marble chimneypiece to NE pavilion principal room.

COACH HOUSE: rubble L-plan building to W of house. NE ELEVATION OF RETURN WALL: 3-bay with single storey 1-bay half-piended addition to outer left. Window at 1st floor to centre; boarded door in bay to left with blinded window at 1st floor above; boarded stable door in bay to left with window at 1st floor above. Boarded door to addition. Engaged drumpier to addition with rounded coping. SE ELEVATION OF RETURN WALL: 2-bay; segmental-arched coach sheds with 2 boarded doors to each, window at 1st floor breaking eaves between bays with skewed gable. NW elevation: window at 1st floor to centre. Later harled monopitch porch to 7 steps to modern door at 1st floor. NW ELEVATION: 3-bay. Stone inserted blinded cruciform with trefoil-ended arms, to centre. Harled stair porch in bay to right. Windows at ground and 1st floor of bay to right. SW ELEVATION: 3-bay. Boarded door at ground to centre with window at 1st floor above. Blinded window and window at 1st floor above in bay to left. Rubble addition projecting from between centre and bay to right with blinded door to outer left of NW return wall with brick segmental-arched lintel. Window at 1st floor of bay to right. Boarded door to outer right at ground. Entrance to addition.

STABLE: (to SE of coach house). Rubble with droved ashlar dressings. SE ELEVATION: blank except window to centre. NE ELEVATION: boarded door just right of centre; window to left of centre; blinded window at 1st floor to centre above. NW ELEVATION: boarded door with 8-pane rectangular fanlight above, left of centre. Window to right. Monopitch single storey addition to outer right. Jerkin-headed slate roof with 2-pane skylights to SE. Truncated ashlar wallhead stack to centre of SW elevation.

GATEPIERS: square-plan coped ashlar gatepiers adjoining sweeping dwarf wall to chamfered square-plan gatepiers flanking drive with ornamental coping.

Statement of Interest

The property was built by the owner of Berrywell (to the W), called Robert Ainslie. The house first appears on the 1797 map. The 1st edition OS map shows the house in its auxiliary buildings to be very much as they are today. During the 2nd World War the ground floor was converted into 2 flats, which has subsequently been reverted.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17849425

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6