Description

Circa 1840; additions Alex Mair, 1936. Symmetrical, 2-storey, 3-bay classical house with single storey, 2-bay wing recessed to left (demolished to right); modern addition to outer left; 2-storey and basement, L-plan addition to outer right (4-bay to Wood Road). Coursed sandstone rubble (painted in part); droved sandstone dressings. Raised base course; cill course at 1st floor; raised eaves course beneath overhanging dentilled eaves. Raised long and short quoins and surrounds to openings; projecting cills at ground; columnar entrance porch. Corniced eaves and blocking course to single storey wing to left. Harled additions to outer left and right; polished dressings to L-plan block.

NW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 2-leaf timber panelled door centred at ground in advanced, columnar porch; plate glass fanlight; surmounting pediment; single window aligned at 1st floor. Single windows at both floors in flanking bays. Single storey wing to left comprising single window in bay to right (full height columnar reveals, flanking pilasters); single window in advanced bay to outer left centred in recessed panel. Regularly fenestrated single storey wing to outer left. 2-storey wing to outer right comprising 2-leaf timber panelled door off-set to right of centre; pedimented door surround with channelled pilasters; single window aligned at 1st floor; single windows at both floors in remaining bays to right and left.

SW WING, SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: tripartite windows at ground and 1st floors in bay to outer left; single windows at both floors in 4 bays to right. Full height projection to outer right comprising boarded openings at basement; 3 round-arched windows at ground floor; 3 square-headed windows aligned above. Regularly fenestrated in additional wing recessed to outer right.

Predominantly boarded openings; some broken panes. Grey slate piended and platform roof to original block; piended roof to addition; replacement rainwater goods. Corniced ridge and wallhead stacks to original block; coped stacks to addition; various circular cans.

INTERIOR: not seen 1997.

BOUNDARY WALL AND PIERS: low coped red sandstone wall to Wood Road stepped down with slope. Tooled sandstone, square-plan piers flanking pedestrian entrance to right-hand wing; pyramidal caps. Coped red brick wall enclosing site to Bradan Road.

Statement of Interest

Empty/derelict 1997. Once owned by a shipyard manager, Adam Wood, this plain classical house (then called 'Portland Villa') subsequently became a mineworkers' convalescent home. Despite various additions and alterations required for its new use, the house itself has retained some good detailing. Of particular note are the raised quoins, long and short dressings and pedimented, columnar entrance. Further single storey structures are contained within the site boundaries which extend to Titchfield Road to the SW and Bradan Road to the SE. A photograph published in McEwan shows the house prior to Mair's addition, with both its single storey side wings. Also shown is the rear elevation of the convalescent home.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56647545

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)