Description

Dated 1769. 3-storey and cellar, symmetrical 5-bay house
with early 19th century 2-storey addition to E. Orange
painted harl; painted ashlar dressings; base course and
cornice.
S ELEVATION: consoled, corniced doorway at centre; short
flight of stone steps with decorative cast-iron
balustrades; 2-leaf panelled doors. Regular fenestration
in flanking bays and to each bay in 1st and 2nd floor
(smaller at 2nd floor). Wallhead gable at centre, ashlar
coped with ashlar stack, bearing armorial panel, dated
1769 and bearing initials "AC".
EARLY 19TH CENTURY ADDITION: single bay, 2-storey,
piend-roofed addition to E elevation, slightly recessed,
with window to each floor in N and S elevations. larger
than those of main villa. Flat-roofed porch and lower
bays added later to E.
N ELEVATION: 5 symmetrical bays with short double flight
of stone steps to centre bays and simple iron railings;
stair window and 2nd floor window at centre; doors in
bays flanking centre with windows at 1st and 2nd floor
above; ground and 1st floor windows in outer bays.
W ELEVATION: blank with 2 1st floor windows at centre
and to left.
Small-pane glazing patterns in sash and case windows.
Grey slates to steep piend roof; lead flashings; swept
eaves. End wallhead gable stacks, harled.
INTERIOR: cellar windows for former E elevation apparent,
blocked by early 19th century addition. Interior
decoration largely 18th century; later 18th century
winding stone stair with decorative wrought-iron
balustrade; depressed hall archway with fluted
pilasters. Consoled corniced dining room doorcase.
Adamesque chimneypiece. Drawing room at 1st floor with
high ceiling, serving to lower ceiling-height of
nursery above.
STABLES: piend-roofed rectangular plan stable block,
sited to E of house; heavily pointed sandstone rubble
with droved ashlar dressings. Stable door with fanlight,
flanked by windows to left of W elevation; garage doors
inserted to right; 3 hayloft windows above. Blank end
elevations; blank rear with hayloft window at centre.
Grey slate piend roof. Timber stall divisions and
flagstones retained in stable.
RETAINING WALLS AND GATEPIERS: rubble retaining walls,
harl pointed at intervals and ashlar coped to S by
roadside Corniced, painted ashlar gatepiers comprised of
quoined terminations of retaining walls flanking drive
to S, surmounted with urn finials. Squared sandstone
rubble piers with block caps flanking gateway to N of
stables.

Statement of Interest

Dr Archibald Christie of Keith gradually purchased the

ground and cottages between 1765 and 1787, costing a

total of ?212, demolished the cottages and commissioned

the villa. His initials can be found on the armorial

above the entrance. The house is named "Catherine

Lodge" after Catherine Fergusson of Kilkerran, Ayrshire.

In 1831 Rev Dr Leslie Moddie owned the property,

succeeded by Henrietta Fergusson. In 1918 the Cowan

family took possession, and until recently the Lodge

served a residence for the head-master of Loretto

School. MacWilliam draws a parallel between the stair

balustrade at the Lodge and that at Baberton House,

Juniper Green.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17569838

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)