Description

Mid 19th century with later additions and alterations. 2-storey, 9 bay asymmetrical Italianate villa. Stugged ashlar with drove ashlar dressings; painted 1930s addition to principal elevation, now harled to rear. Base course; dividing band course; eaves course; bracketed overhanging eaves.

NE (PRINCIPAL, PROMENADE) ELEVATION: main block irregular, 2-storey, window to each floor of each bay. Bays distributed 1-3-1-2-1-1. Bay to outer left slightly projecting; full-height canted window. 3-bay group, recessed; round-arched windows with keystone to 1st floor; heavily bracketed balcony to 1st floor. Single bay projecting, 3-storey with Italianate tower behind canted window to ground; single windows to each floor; round-arched tripartite to tower above. 2-storey bays to right recessed considerably; panelled door to ground with windows flanking; windows to each bay at 1st floor. Lower 2-storey service wing adjoining to outer right; penultimate bay slightly advanced; later single storey addition in front of 2 outer bays to right.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: irregular; 2-storey, 5-bay with windows to each floor of each bay. Projecting pedimented porch to right of centre; panelled door with 4-pane rectangular fanlight above; window at 1st floor above. Bay to outer right projecting. Modern single storey addition at ground of bay to left of porch. Advanced bay to left of centre: 3-storey with tower behind; 2 windows at ground; tripartite to tower. single windows in bay to outer left. Service wing adjoining with later single storey lean-to range.

NW ELEVATION: modern glazed door at ground outer right, external staircase up to modern glazed panelled door at 1st floor; inner left bay advanced. Later single storey addition to outer left advanced and adjoining neighbouring property.

Variety of glazing patterns- including 12-pane, plate glass timber sash and case windows. Grey slate piended roofs; platform to later addition to NW. Ashlar coped stacks; paired stacks linked by round-headed arches in projecting bay left of centre, (rear elevation) and at ridge between outer left and 3-bay block (principal elevation).

INTERIOR: encaustic tiles to vestibule; tripartite glazed vestibule partition with 2-leaf glazed door; 4-pane rectangular fanlight above; arch from vestibule to hall, 2 arches to hall. Decorative plasterwork including ceiling rose to hall, and upper landing; deeply fielded plasterwork to principal front room, ground. Original cast-iron balustrade; panelled doors in place. Original black marble fireplace and shutters in place to former dining room; white marble fireplace, to former drawing room.

BOUNDARY WALLS: coped sandstone wall to Promenade, with later railings. Tall rubble walls with round coping to side and rear, now partly demolished. Gatepiers with name inscribed and original cast-iron lamps, James Street.

Statement of Interest

The house was built for Robert Horn and is now used as a hotel. The section to SW corner being converted into separate flats. Land to NW has been developed for a modern housing scheme, reached through the large gatepiers on James Street. According to the Dean of Guild Archives, a warrant to add a new porch and gateway was sought in March 1911.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17806081

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

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)