Description

Dated 1830. Small 2-storey and attic, 3-bay, rectangular-plan classical villa with pedimented centre bay, Ionic portico and enclosed single storey courtyard to rear. Fine Adamesque oval hall. Squared and coursed rock-faced rubble with contrasting ashlar dressings; snecked rubble to courtyard. Base and 1st floor cill courses, eaves cornice and blocking course. Segmental-headed door, round-headed window panels. Voussoirs.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: Ionic portico with tablet to entablature and 3 steps up to broad panelled timber door with narrow flanking lights and semicircular fanlight, windows in recessed round-headed panels to flanking bays and regular fenestration to 1st floor, small glazed oculus in tympanum.

SW ELEVATION: 3 windows to each floor; 3 further windows to single storey bay to outer left.

NE ELEVATION: mirrors W elevation, but with bipartite window to centre at 1st floor.

NW (COURTYARD) ELEVATION: centre bay with broad gateway, slightly recessed segmental-headed cart arch with 2-leaf boarded timber gate, and flanking pedestrian doorways, that to left with boarded timber door, that to right blocked; deep coped course breaking eaves above, and sturdy outer stacks. Flanking blank piended bays.

INNER COURTYARD ELEVATIONS: datestone over cart entrance; variety of openings to side elevations including louvered door; rear of house with advanced centre bay, blinded outer windows and partly-obscured centre window to 1st floor, and lower 2-storey rubble bay projecting to centre.

Plate glass glazing in timber sash and case windows, those to ground S fixed; 12- and 16- pane glazing patterns to single storey elevations. Grey slates. Coped ashlar stacks

INTERIOR: good decorative scheme surviving. Includes, full-height oval hall with 8 lugged, architraved doorways and bowed doors to ground floor; curving stair (off hall) with decorative cast-iron balusters returning to oval landing with round-headed niches and domed ceiling with decoratively-astragalled lantern. Marble, stone and timber fireplaces; decorative architraves to doors (reeded); decorative plasterwork cornices and panelled ceilings; panelled dadoes and shutters. Small vaulted cellar with 'Musgrave's of London and Belfast' patent boiler.

Statement of Interest

According to Cunningham, Kilmux Estate was divided in the mid 18th century, but again united in 1832 by James Blyth Fernie (1798-1858) an agricultural improver who was also responsible for the nearby 'model' farm steading. In 1862 Kilmux belonged to David Johnston Macfie, and by 1875 Kilmux House with offices, garden, lodge, coachman's house and farm were the property of David Ritchie of Edinburgh. All estate buildings are built with stone from Kilmux Quarry. The walled garden, lodge house, farmhouse and steading are all listed separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17795807

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)