Description

Robert Keith and Son, pre-1891; enlarged and remodelled by Alexander Johnston and David Baxter, 1907; further enlarged and embellished by W B D Keith (really Vernon Constable), 1921. 2-storey and attic, basically rectangular-plan villa with Beaux Arts detailing. Coursers, ashlar and snecked rubble with rusticated dressings, grey slate roof. Base course; windows mainly plate glass sash and case, multi-pane at east and west pavilions, south elevation; moulded eaves course; piended-roof; moulded coped stacks with identical cans.

East elevation: asymmetrical. 2 bays advanced at centre; open entrance portico at right bay ground floor with paired Ionic columns at left and right and further column adjoining at right return, door with fanlight and pulvinated lintel band and bell-pull flanked by leaded windows with chamfered reveals; window at left bay, moulded cornice and deep band course at 1st floor, 2 windows at 1st flor, box dormer. Blank bay recessed at left; further bay recessed at far left with single storey pavilion projecting from re-entrant angle, blank round-headed arch with chamfered reveal cornice and parapet; window and door at 1st floor with bowed resuticated dressings in re-entrant angle. Single storey, 2-bay billiard room recessed at outer right; 2 windows each slightly advanced, rusticated angle at right, cornice and parapet.

South elevation: 5-bay, near symmetrical. 2-storey, 4-light canted window at centre, canted dormer with segmental window at centre flanked by bull's-eye windows with decoratively moulded margins. Tripartite windows at left, slightly advsanced with moulded cornice at ground floor, corbelled and shouldered margins at 1st floor; similar at right but bipartite. Single storey pavilions at far left and right projecting from re-entrant angles, each consisting of French doors flanked by bowed angle windows, moulded lintel course, fanlight with chamfered reveal to voussoirs, chamfering extending to bowed angles with moulded cornice and parapet above; window to recessed 1st floor bays.

North elevation: modern garage and 1908 billiard room additions at ground floor left; modern door and former single storey service projections at right. Tripartite stair window flanked by single windows; 3 multi-light flat-roofed dormers and various stacks.

Interior: of exceptional quality. Lobby with finely plastered walls rendered ashlar, dougle coomb ceiling with decorative plasterwork. Original marble chimneypieces and panelling in principal rooms with some decorative plasterwork. Inner hall with fine mahogany panelling and well stair; inlet point at landing for central vacuming system. Some original sanitary fittings included unusual T-plan sunken bath with railings. Billiard room has vertically-louvred secondary glazing and large ceiling light, both with patterned leaded panes, similar glazing also at stair window and front entrance.

Terrace wall and lamp standards: concrete and stone balustraded terrace wall at south of house, bal-finialled dies and steps at east and west. Cast-iron lamp standards with moulded decoration.

Boundary wall and gatepiers: rubble wall with rounded coping and rusticated gatepiers at north. Similar wall at south with 2 coped gatepiers forming quadrant.

Statement of Interest

Claremont was built for William Dawson and was originally a plain 3-bay house with its main entrance facing north; a large eastern bay which included a new entrance porch was added in 1907 for William Boyd of Keillers. Boyd further embellished the house in 1921 by adding the pavilions, dormer, billiard room although his plan for a third pavilion, giant pilasters and a balustraded parapet were never realised; the lodge (listed separately) was also added at this time. The equipment which was connected to the central vacuming system was donated to Dundee City Museums. The high quality of the interior is an important element in the listing of Claremont.

Minor updates to Description and Statement of Special Interest sections in 2018.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813937

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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