Description

Circa 1870; extended 1938 by Thomas McCrae and converted to 2 flats mid 20th century. 2-storey and attic; L-plan Scottish baronial villa comprising main body of house with rear/N wing and single storey extension to W. Asymmetrical design with crowstepped gables and bartizans. Coursed stugged sandstone with droved ashlar dressings; stonework of rear/N wing is less finely coursed; extension is entirely of ashlar. Architraved windows (moulded to principal elevations; with long and short surrounds to rear/N wing); angle quoins to original building.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: former main entrance to central recessed bay; single step to semi-circular-headed, architraved doorway with fanlight. Left bay stepped forward in form of towerhouse with raised roof level and crowstepped gables at right angles to either side; balustraded parapet in front terminated at corners by bartizans with ball-finalled conical stone roofs; gabled dormer set between. Right bay projects slightly further forward; 2-storey 3-light canted window and heavily coped crowstepped gable with thistle finial. Single storey ashlar extension to far left: deep parapet with band course beneath, adjoining band course of main body of house; central 3-light canted window with flanking single windows.

W ELEVATION: single storey extension projects forward from W wing; steps up to Tudor-arched doorway with architraved and pulvinated cornice; datestone (1938) with initials above; panelled timber door with decorative iron thistle latch handle; large 3-light window to right. Heavily coped crowstepped gable of main body of house behind; round-arched window set in gablehead; bartizan with conical stone roof with thistle finial projects to left at first floor level. W elevation of rear (N) wing beyond has single 1st floor window with curved apron with thistle motif; entrance to ground floor may have been inserted in window opening. Modern glazed conservatory to re-entrant angle over small, coursed sandstone ground floor extension (1938).

N ELEVATION: rear/N wing projects to left; small coursed rubble lean-to extension with central blocked entrance to left; 2 windows to 1st floor. Main body of house set back to right; 2 windows to small ground floor extension (obscured by modern conservatory); single window to 1st floor and 2 small attic windows set within eaves; bartizan projects to right at 1st floor level (see W elevation). Single storey extension adjoins to right at base of bartizan via short half-segmental-arched linking section set at an angle; single window to centre.

E ELEVATION: blank bay to left. Rear/N wing projects slightly to right; 1st floor entrance to left via flight of stone steps with wrought-iron handrail; 2-leaf panelled door with 9-pane rectangular fanlight; small window to right; broad window with concrete surround below (to steps). Single window to ground floor to far right.

Mainly 2 and 4-pane and border-glazed timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs: mainly gabled, that to rear (N) wing piended. Gablehead stacks to E and W of main body of house; ridge stack at change in roof level; 2 wallhead chimneys to rear (N) wing; all coped; round cans, some of barley-sugar design. Rainwater goods mainly PVCu.

INTERIOR: only part of upstairs flat inspected (1991); largely unaltered since conversion to flats.

BOUNDARY WALLS: coursed sandstone rubble retaining walls with rounded coping to S and W; lower in height immediately to S of house where coping and gatepost marigns are of squared sandstone blocks.

Statement of Interest

House appears to remain substantially intact (judging from an early photograph), with the exception of the addition of the very fine and sympathetic ground floor extension of 1938. An attempt has been made to give an impression of antiquity/various stages of construction: including a 'towerhouse' and a rear wing which is quite different in style and construction to the rest of the house.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77772745

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas