Game Larder, Pitpointie Farmhouse, Auchterhouse, Angus

Description

Dated 1883; gabled canopy at entrance porch probably slightly later, attributed to Charles Edward and Thomas S Robertson. Large two-storey, rectangular plan gabled farmhouse, with lower two-storey service wings creating a U-plan. Stugged snecked rubble, ashlar dressings, slate roof. Base course, rusticated quoins. Mostly single windows, a pair of two-storey canted windows at south, droved ashlar with aprons, capitalled mullions and moulded cornice at ground floor, plate-glass and four-pane glazing, stop-chamfered reveals to south, chamfered at stair window.

Deep eaves with moulded rafter and purlin ends and moulded bargeboards, corniced ridge chimney stacks with many original tall cream cans and terracotta decoration. Rectangular and round cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative moulding, brackets and hoppers. Elaborate cast-iron finials to gables and dormerheads (some missing).

West (entrance) elevation: single storey, gabled porch with window advanced from main house at right, door at right return, gabled canopy with decorative bargeboards supported by Peterhead granite colonettes with bulbous capitals on tiered, square chamfered and octagonal droved ashlar bases. Single window at ground floor to right, initialled panel 'GEW' at first floor; bipartite window at ground floor left, two windows at first, shouldered chimney stack rising from wallhead through eaves. Lower two-storey service wing at far left, door at ground floor centre, two dormerheaded windows breaking through eaves.

South elevation: three bays wide and symmetrical. Outer bays each consist of two-storey canted window with facetted roof; centre bay has tripartite window at ground floor with corbelled cill and pilastered margins and mullions, corniced parapet with decorative cast-iron balustrade; two windows in recessed second floor; gabled and finialled dormer with segmental window.

East elevation: cross-plan timber-framed conservatory on stone base at left with brick chimney stack adjoining house, window at ground floor far left; window and bipartite at ground floor right, two windows at first; blank bay at far right.

North elevation: tripartite and mullioned stair window at centre, window at ground and first floors to right. Lower two-storey wing advanced at left with slightly later addition recessed and further advanced, gabled porch at re-entrant angle, window at left and two dormerheaded windows breaking through eaves at left return elevation; ground floor window at gable. Similar wing advanced at right but without addition; blocked door and two windows at ground floor left return elevation, dormerheaded window breaking through eaves; ground floor window at gable.

Interior: most original features retained. Richly decorated plaster cornices, beams, consoles and compartmentalised ceilings in principal ground floor rooms; original chimneypieces; stairs with carved balusters, tapestry affixed to wall, stained glass window; bathroom has unusual frieze of (probably stencilled) aquatic scenes.

Game Store: single storey, rectangular-plan game store to southeast of house. Rubble walls and unroofed. Door in west elevation and window in south elevation. Interior has stone slab shelves.

Enclosing Wall and Gatepiers: rubble enclosing wall, squat ashlar gatepiers (possibly cut-down) with ball finials and modern wrought-iron gates.

Walled Garden and Coach House: flat-coped rubble walled garden at north of house, cast-iron gates at south wall; rectangular-plan building of snecked rubble and slate adjoining southeast corner presumed to be coach house, two-leaf door and single door (interior not seen).

Gatepiers and Adjoining Walls: two widely spaced, round-section, ogival-capped gatepiers with adjoining rubble quadrant walls at entrance to farmhouse and steading at south.

Timber Piers: two partly chamfered, square-section timber piers with ball finials at west entrance to farmhouse and steading.

Statement of Interest

The present farmhouse was built in 1883 for George Willsher, wine and spirit dealer of Dundee whose initials appear on the west elevation. The richness of the plasterwork is an important factor in the listing of Pitpointie farmhouse.

Willsher replaced an earlier farmhouse and steading on the site, shown in plan on a drawing dated 1759. The Dundee and Newtyle Railway (opened 1831) originally passed hard by Pitpointie farm, but was re-routed through Dronley in 1860. The timber piers at the west entrance to Pitpointie may derive from the original Dundee and Newtyle Railway which crossed the public road at about this point.

Listed building record updated in 2021 as part of the Thatched Buildings Listing Review. When the building was listed in 1992 the game store was described as having a 'dilapidated thatch roof'.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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