Description

Possibly John Orkney; dated 1860. Pair of 2-storey, 2-bay classically-detailed villas forming symmetrical 4-bay block; advanced Alexander Thomson-style gabled bays to outer left and right; pitched entrance porches recessed at sides. Coursed and squared rubble sandstone; polished ashlar dressings. Raised, polished base course; modillioned eaves to ground floor bows; raised cill course at 1st floor; overhanging timber eaves. Round-arched openings set in 5-light bows; shouldered and architraved surrounds to ground floor bipartites (ashlar mullions); round-arched bipartite windows at 1st floor (columnar mullions to outer left and right); channelled voussoirs. Harl-pointed sandstone rubble to sides and rear.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: recessed porches to outer left and right comprising replacement 2-leaf doors; blocked round-arched fanlights; flanking cast-iron columns supporting round-arched timber canopies. 5-light bow windows at ground in advanced bays to outer left and right; bowed cast-iron balustrade beneath bipartite windows centred in apex above. Bipartite windows at ground in recessed central bays; corbelled window-boxes beneath bipartites aligned at 1st floor; armorial panels above ("JO" embossed to left of centre; "1860" embossed to right); corbelled round-arched timber canopies breaking eaves.

2-pane timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slate roof; replacement rainwater goods. Corniced ridge and apex stacks (rendered); stop-chamfered square-plan corniced cans to all.

INTERIOR: not seen 1996.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: low coped random rubble wall to Craigmore Road; "Orcadia" inscribed within splayed round-arched surround at centre. Chamfered yellow ashlar gatepiers flanking entrances; corniced caps; gates missing No 27; decorative timber pedestrian entry gate No 28.

Statement of Interest

An impressive villa with some interesting features - timber sash and case windows, decorative use of cast-iron, round-arched openings and bows. The flanking villas forming part of the "Orcadia" terrace (Nos 25 & 26 and Nos 29 & 30) are not listed. Compare with the symmetrical terraces of double villas along Mount Stuart Road, particularly Elysium Terrace - also by John Orkney (see separate list entry).

Rothesay is one of Scotland's premier seaside resorts, developed primarily during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and incorporates an earlier medieval settlement. The town retains a wide range of buildings characteristic of its development as a high status 19th century holiday resort, including a range of fine villas, a Victorian pier and promenade.

The history and development of Rothesay is defined by two major phases. The development of the medieval town, centred on Rothesay Castle, and the later 19th and early 20th century development of the town as a seaside resort. Buildings from this later development, reflect the wealth of the town during its heyday as a tourist destination, and include a range of domestic and commercial architecture of a scale sometimes found in larger burghs. Both the 19th and early 20th century growth of the town, with a particular flourish during the inter-war period, included areas of reclaimed foreshore, particularly along the coast to the east of the town and around the pier and pleasure gardens.

(List description revised as part of Rothesay listing review 2010-11).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775329

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

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)