Description

Charles Ower, dated 1890, additions at rear 1901. 2-storey, attic and basement, basically square-plan, house. Bull-faced coursers at S and E elevations, snecked rubble elsewhere, red sandstone ashlar dressings, slate roof. Windows at S elevation large single-pane casements with 2 fixed stained glass panels at top, various glazing elsewhere, oriel canted windows at W, mostly stop-chmfered architraves. Basement lintel course and band course at 1st floor, S and E. Steeply pitched platform roof, some dormers and French roofs with finials and brattishing at S and E.

E ELEVATION: 5-bay, asymmetrical. Advanced entrance bay at centre with large 2-leaf doors at basement, window at ground floor, partially blocked stained glass window at 1st floor, multi-pane piended dormer in pyramidal roof with deep bracketted eaves; 2-leaf door at left return with approaching steps, glazed canopy, large inscribed lintel. Chiimneybreast with tall shoulders above eaves, corbelled at 1st floor. Bay at far left with basement window, incscribed moulded 'Cyandy 1955, Dr S L siegler, Dr E W K Andrau', panel at 1st floor '18990, C Ower, Archt'. Bay at far right with 2 ground floor windowss, bracketted dormerhead at 1st floor.

S ELEVATION: rectangular 5-light full-height window projecting at left; single basement window, deeply bracketted cill at 1st floor, moulded lintel with panels above; French roof with dormer. Bay at right with single basement window, tripartite at ground floor, bipartite at 1st floor, dormer.

W ELEVATION: 4-bay, asymmetrical. Canted bay at centre with single window at ground floor, tripartite stained glass stair window at 1st floor with polygonal roof. Bracketted rectangular oriel window at left; bracketted cill and lintel, 'CMO' cipher in panel at right return, moulded eaves, piended-roof, 2 rooflights. 2-storey lean-to addition at far left.

N ELEVATION: addition of 1901; flat roof at left, piended bay at centre, lean-to at right, box dormer at main house.

Rubble wall at S, 2 square-section, banded gatepiers with moulded ball finial caps.

INTERIOR: largely orginal ghroughout. Entrance porch; patterned tile floor, stained glass window, panelled dado, inscribed stone over door (see NOTES), glass door with artists' palette and fleur-de-lis design etched glass, classical pediment design in window above. Study; carved timber chimneypiece (later grate), flanking timber presses, floral cornice. Dining room; carved timber chimneypiece, tiled grate with brass canopy, moulded door lintels, acanthus and bay leaf design cornices, fully shelved pantry. Hall and staircase; painted Art-Nouveau anaglypta dado, scale and platt stairs, carved wheel balusters, 2 ornate column lamp fittings, canted tripartite stair window with pointed tracery and stained glass figural representations of science, architecture and art; corniced lintels at landing doors and stair to attic with turned balusters, early brass fittings marked 'GASS'.

Drawing room; carved timber chimneypieces with fluted columns, galleried lintels over door, coomb ceiling with plain cornices. Stained glass at top panels of principal room windows.

Statement of Interest

Built by Charles Ower (circa 18490-1921), architect, for himself, and named Benora. Canted stair window and rectangular oriel at W not shown on original drawings, but amended later. Inscription over front door 'God grant that passers here below be holy, happy, healthy, hearty, handy, thrifty'. Inscription over inside of front door: 'The contractos employed in the erection of this house are Thomas G Bruce, mason, Monifieth; Thomas C Stocks, joiner, Dundee; Alexander Lamond, slater, William Murray, plumber, Broughty Ferry; Alex McRitchie, plasterer, Dundee; Anson Wood, Insepctor of Works'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813396

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

• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)