Description

Circa 1880 with later alterations and additions. 2-storey, symmetrical, 3-bay square-plan Italianate villa with porte-corchere and single storey block to rear with lower pitched projection to SW angle. Tooled pink sandstone with polished ashlar dressings, decorative cast-iron balustrades (heightened later in steel) to porte-corchere and to flanking canted bays. Base course; ovolo string course and cornice to bays at ground and to porte-corchere; eaves course with string course to lower margin; consoled cornice. Carved foliate capitals to columnar mullioned and moulded windows, to porte-corchere cluster column supports and to angles of strip quoins.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: rectangular-plan porte-corchere in bay to centre at ground; cluster columns on square plinths supporting keystoned 3-centred arch to front, flattened 3-centred arches to sides and round-headed arches flanking door; raised Serlian doorway with columns flanking each light; 2-leaf timber panelled door with fanlight above; narrow, round-arched lights flanking; Serlian window, similar, at 1st floor above; blank circular plaque above each flanking light. 4-light round-arched canted window at ground with bipartite window at 1st floor above in each bay flanking.

S (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay wing with lower single bay projection to outer left in bay to centre at ground; irregularly disposed replacement window in each bay; 2-bay right return with irregularly disposed replacement window in each bay; Serlian stair window to main block in bay to centre; paired dormer windows above. Window at each floor in bays flanking. Wallhead stack between centre and outer bays above.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: window at ground in bay to centre; window at 1st floor above. Replacement door with fanlight (originally a window opening) at ground in bay to left; window at 1st floor above. Window at each floor in bay to right. Wallhead stack between centre and outer bays above.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: window, with later window flanking, at each floor in bay to centre; dormer window above. Window at each floor in bays flanking. Wallhead stack between centre and outer bays above.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1997.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: low stugged sandstone walls with curved ashlar cope. Greek cross-plan gatepiers with chamfered angles, recessed, shouldered panels to each face, string course, cornice and square cap; replacement wrought-iron gates.

Some 2-pane timber sash and case windows, others predominantly replacement uPVC windows; fixed leaded windows to upper sashes of canted bays; some stained glass. Grey slate piended roof; grey slate to rear wing and to pitched addition; curved leaded roofs to dormers; ashlar coped stacks; cast-iron rainwater goods with some uPVC replacements.

Statement of Interest

Retaining fine original details including porte-corchere, carved floriate capitals and decorative ironwork, this imposing villa is now converted to a hotel.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17846542

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

• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5