Description

Mid 19th century, extended 1951. Large single and 2-storey with part basement, 3-bay gabled house with Tudor details, 3-stage corniced entrance tower, stone porch and sympathetic extension. Whitewashed harl (see Notes) with contrasting yellow sandstone dressings. Deep roll-moulded base course. Shouldered doorway; hoodmoulds; corbels; chamfered arrises and stone mullions.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: bay to left of centre with tower (see below); bipartite window to outer left at ground with single window above breaking eaves into dormerhead. Broad gabled bay to right with full-width, slate-roofed, stone porch on ashlar piers forming 2 shouldered openings with similar single opening on return to right; corbelled chimney breast at 1st floor extending into gablehead with shouldered stack. 3-bay single storey wing to outer left with canted window in slightly advanced gabled bay to right and 2 further windows to left.

ENTRANCE TOWER: advanced square-plan entrance tower with single window at 1st stage W giving way to hoodmoulded window with decorative cast-iron balconette on moulded consoles; S elevation with shoulder-arched panelled timber door at 1st stage and window above; E elevation blank. 3rd stage with windows to W, S and N, each breaking eaves into pedimented dormerhead at base of pyramidal roof with decorative ironwork weathervane.

S ELEVATION: 3 original bays to left of centre comprising broad projecting canted bay to left with decorative cast-iron balconette to 1st floor window with blind shield to trefoil moulding over centre light and decorative timber braces to outer angles of pendant-finialled gablehead; single polygonal stack piercing right roof pitch. Bays to right altered at ground with gabled single storey extension, 2 original windows at 1st floor each breaking eaves into dormerheads. 3 later symmetrical bays beyond to right, with hoodmoulded windows at ground and dormerheaded windows at 1st floor.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: variety of elements to gabled elevation (broad gables flanking small centre gable) with lower gabled service wing projecting at right and set-back extension to left.

E ELEVATION: single gabled bay with centre French window at each floor, windows in flanking bays and fire escape.

4-pane and plate glass glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates, banded to tower and single storey wing. Shouldered harl and ashlar stacks with full-complement of polygonal cans; deeply overhanging eaves with decorative bargeboarding; decorative cast-iron and timber finials; cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers and fixings.

INTERIOR: some decorative plasterwork cornices with elaborate guilloche bands framing 4 types of diminutive mask (see Notes); timber-balustered staircase (enclosed in timber panelling) with finialled newel posts. Arts and Crafts style timber fire-surround and overmantel with cast-iron canopy and grate, and tiled slips.

WALLED GARDEN: small rectangular-plan walled garden to NW, comprising ashlar-coped brick wall to SE and coped rubble wall to NW.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: ashlar-coped squared rubble boundary walls with inset decorative ironwork railings and 2 pairs of pyramidally-coped square-section ashlar gatepiers to Balmoral Road; coped rubble boundary walls elsewhere.

Statement of Interest

In 1948, Mrs Smith left funds to Blairgowrie for the purchase of a residential home for elderly people. Hope Park House was purchased, converted and extended for this purpose, and opened in 1951. Harling probably dates from the 1950s as an earlier photograph shows the original structure with exposed squared rubble stonework. The delightful plasterwork masks portraying a young girl, boy, middle aged and elderly men bear a striking resemblance to plasterwork at Ellangowan, Lower Oakfield and Wellwood, West Moulin Road, both Pitlochry. Thus, it is safe to assume that interior work at Hope Park was carried out by the same artist. Hope Park Lodge is listed separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17831394

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

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  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
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  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
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  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper