Description

David Bryce, dated 1829. Small 2-storey, 3-bay, Tudor mansion with gabled stone porch, low service wing and courtyard to W. Small squared rubble blocks with dressed ashlar quoins and droved margins. Finialled stone dormerheads; chamfered arrises, stone transoms and mullions.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: asymmetrical. Centre bay with serpentine-coped dwarf walls flanking steps leading to porch with roll-moulded doorcase and finialled pediment bearing date-panel in strapwork cartouche with pelican crest and initials 'IW', lower flanking ball-finialled dies; further roll-moulded doorway behind with flanking narrow lights and panelled timber door. Window in bay to right of centre at ground and window over each of these bays breaking eaves into dormerhead. Slightly advanced gabled bay to left of centre with window to each floor, ball finials to outer angles and corbelled chimney breast breaking gablehead.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: 3-bay elevation with advanced gabled bay to right of centre with transomed windows (8-light to ground and 4-light to 1st floor) and blind diamond-panel in finialled gablehead; 2-light transomed windows to each return at ground, with single windows above, and further small window to each floor of re-entrant angle to left. Window to each floor of remaining bays, those to 1st floor breaking eaves into dormerheads. Recessed link to left with lower gabled service wing beyond and single storey offices to outer left.

N ELEVATION: variety of elements to stepped, gabled elevation including full-height chimney stack to outer left gable, 8-light transomed stair window to right, set-back lower bays with dormerheaded 1st floor windows beyond and broad gabled bay to outer right adjoining courtyard wall.

W ELEVATION: single storey offices closing courtyard to left with advanced gable to right. 2-storey building behind with dormerheaded window to centre and dominant flanking stacks.

8- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slates. Coped single and paired tall diamond-aligned stacks. Ashlar-coped skews with moulded skewputts and finials. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

INTERIOR: good decorative scheme in place including tiled floors to inner and stair halls divided by 2-leaf part-glazed screen door; part curved, scale-and-platt cantilevered staircase with timber handrail over brass railings; ribbed ceiling. Handsome Jacobean drawing room, ribbed and strapwork ceilings, and carved timber fireplaces

Statement of Interest

Built for John Wallace, Newton Hall was attributed to Bryce on style of drawings. The discovery, during the 1980s, of signed instructions on plasterwork confirmed the attribution of Bryce's first known independent commission. By 1904 when a new drainage system was installed, the building was owned Mr Balfour of Balbirnie. The staircase with wooden handrail over brass railings is also used by Bryce at Strathenry House, Leslie, Fife.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17795016

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

• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)