Description

William Wallace, King's Master Mason, Anglo-Scottish Renaissance mansion, 1620-1627, with large additions to the north and west in the Tudor style by John Paterson, around 1805.

Sandstone rubble for original mansion, with white painted harling, ashlar stair towers, ashlar dressings, string courses, moulded eaves, cornice and ornate barley sugar chimneystacks; 19th century work in sandstone ashlar with base, string and band courses, hoodmoulded openings and crenellated parapets.

17th century mansion: L-plan, main block running east to west with northeast jamb and square plan stair tower to northeast; semi-octagonal stair tower set in re-entrant angle with northeast jamb. Ground and 1st floor of north and west elevations is largely obscured by later additions.

The north elevation is three-storey and the south elevation is three-storey with basement on falling ground by the River Tyne. Circular stair turret adjoined of northeast tower at 2nd floor in re-entrant angle with ogival leaded roof and small windows. With Renaissance balustrade to a square four-stage tower with strapwork ornament to cornice below, and observation platform. Semi-octagonal tower of four lower stages with ogival roof deliberately set askew, some decoratively cut ornate slates and glided finial. The 2nd floor windows generally with pilastered rybats, some fluted and with ornate strapworked pediment, breaking eaves as dormerheads. Oval oculus in gablehead of east elevation of east-west block.

Plan one room in depth with northeast jamb one-bay deep. Three bays grouped closely at centre on south elevation with further bay to outer right. Tall, ornate barley sugar chimneystacks in groups of three to five at gable and wallheads, with a great variety of ornamental carving. Crowstepped gables.

There are 19th century additions to north and west. Single-storey and basement to north with canted two-stage entrance bay at centre; single-storey and basement to west elevation without basement recess. Octagonal, crenellated towers closing each addition of two and three-stages, with hoodmoulded lancets, blind in upper stages. Rectangular porch projecting from canted bay to north, with angle buttresses and moulded pointed-arch doorway. Taller windows at ground floor. Stone mullioned tripartities to west elevation at principal floor level, flanking canted bay set off-centre to left. Piend roofs behind parapets; flat, leaded roof with conical skylights above projecting entrance bay. Small and square-pane glazing patterns to sash and case windows. Grey slates. Cast-and wrought-iron balcony across principal floor to south, on coped ashlar parapet with cast-iron columns and decorative railings.

Interior: outstanding 17th century decoration retained. The library (or King Charles's Room) contains the finest early-17th century plaster ceiling and a chimneypiece of large proportions bearing what was probably originally the pediment over the entrance door (moved in around 1805). The flue is thought to have belonged to the castle which stood on the site before the work in the 1620s. The drawing room, formerly the great hall of the castle, includes a similarly magnificent chimneypiece and strapwork plaster ceiling with fine strapwork plaster ceilings in the bedrooms with ornate panels. Stone wheel stairs. Tudor decoration to vaulted inner vestibule of 19th century addition; decorative plaster cavetto cornice to Dining Room, with apsidal ends; decoratively carved classical chimneypieces. Notable fittings and furnishings, much of an early date.

Gate to walled garden: probably 18th century. Decorative wrought-iron gate with wide side panels and overthrow crowned by fleur-de-lys finial; sited on south of garden.

Terrace and railings: squared and snecked sandstone terrace walls to south; round-arched Renaissance balustrade to east beyond octagonal pavilion. Summer pavilion with hoodmoulded lancets and slated ogival roof, linked to castle by further (different) balustrade parapet. Decorative cast and wrought-iron railings to terraces and to basement recesses at north.

Statement of Interest

Renaissance work commissioned by the 10th Lord Seton, extending and aggrandising a later 15th century castle and 19th century work commissioned by Colonel Hamilton. The work by William Wallace constitutes a landmark in the development of Scottish architecture after the union of the Crowns, standing as an early example of the style developed later at Heriot's Hospital, Edinburgh, and Argyll's Lodging, Stirling for example. The Setons were also the patrons of the outstanding work prior to Winton at Fyvie Castle and Pinkie House. The Laundry Cottage (LB18949), Stables (LB18951), the North Lodge (LB18950) and South Lodge, gates and gatepiers (LB18916 and LB18917 respectively) are listed separately. The walled garden by the stables is not included in the current listings, but the wrought-iron gate is included above.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2019. Previously listed as 'Winton House (formerly Castle) with Terraces Railings'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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.

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