Description

Circa 1828 with later alterations and extensions, including redevelopment, 1965. Austere classical two-storey five-bay villa with lower (two-storey) single-bay pavilion to the east; Outer canted bays of main block added in late 19th century. Lightly droved sandstone ashlar, coursed sandstone to sides and rear. Outlook tower and canted bay to rear. Base and blocking courses, eaves cornice. Architraves to segmental-headed windows.

South (principal) elevation: porch with fluted Greek Doric columns and entablature in outer right bay of main block, surmounted by canted window with balustraded parapet. Balustraded two-storey canted window to outer left bay; segmental-headed windows in canted bays and ground floor centre bays.

North (rear) elevation: central piend-roofed two-storey canted bay with decorative wrought-iron balcony at first floor level. Two-storey bay to right. Narrow two-storey bay flanking to left, topped by outlook tower (former viewing platform), recently enclosed and glazed. Lower bay with windows in arched recessed panel to left.

Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case windows; 6-pane lying-pane pattern glazing in upper sashes of south elevation second storey; modern tower windows. Graded grey slates. Corniced ashlar stacks.

Boundary walls, railings, gates and gatepiers: low ashlar walls to front with base course and ashlar coping. Very elaborate later wrought-iron railings (designed 1913), gates, gateposts, standard lamp and (working) fountain. Coursed sandstone retaining walls with arched coping to west and north.

Statement of Interest

Part of a group with Manor House (17 Boswall Road, seeLB28337), Boswall House (19 Boswall Road, see LB28338) and Forthview House (21 and 23 Boswall Road - formerly Wardiebank House, see LB28339), forming together a quasi-Baroque composition, spectacularly sited on the edge of the raised beach overlooking the Forth. Battered retaining wall runs along the edge of the slope to the north of all three properties. The linking flat-roofed pavilions (whose fenestration has suffered several alterations) may have been built later, as the Post Office Directories map shows the villas as three separate blocks. However, the linking pavilions are clearly present on Johnstone's very accurate map of 1851, and the Post Office maps continue to show three separate blocks until 1860.

An entry in the Edinburgh Evening Courant of August 15th 1836 may give a clue to the architect of these villas. Captain JD Boswall advertises that his lands 'of Windstrawlee and Wardie... are to be fued for every description of Villa, double or single Houses, shops and such other buildings as the increasing trade and intercourse by steam navigation may require, on the establishment of the great steam packet landing place (at Granton).... Lithographic plans are in preparation,' by Dicksons Architects, 9 Blenheim Place. Although this date is too late for the Wardie villas, stylistic resemblances with Dicksons' Gardner's Crescent and Leith Town Hall can be discerned.

The ornamental railings extending along the frontage of Manor House, Boswall House and Forthview House came originally from the RMS Aquitania, built by John Brown and Co Ltd for the Cunard Steamship Company in 1913. Illustrations in THE SHIPBUILDER, June, 1913, show the ironwork in the lounge, restaurant and staircase, and the present garden gates as elevator gates. Sir JD Pollock, who owned Manor, Boswall and Forthview Houses from around1920 until his death in 1962, was the owner of a ship-breaking company which became Metal Industries Ltd. The Aquitania was not retired until 1949, but she was requisitioned in both World Wars, so it is possible that the ornamental ironwork was removed at an earlier date. Pollock (also donor of Pollock Halls and other University properties), lived in Manor House, while Boswall and Forthview Houses were used as the Pollock Missionary Residencies.

Manor House, Boswall House and Forthview House were developed in 1965 by Broadland Properties (architects Walter Duns of Duns, Berwickshire), their intention being to convert the houses into 12 flats (Scotsman 30.6.65), with the addition of garages and mews flats to the east. Not all the subdivision was carried out, and Manor House has since returned to single ownership.

There is a carved stone to the south of the villa within the boundary walls. The stone has a lion rampant motif on its north face and a carved crown on the top.

Listed building record revised in 2018.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793629

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

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability