Description

Dated 1880. Single storey, attic floor and basement, 3-bay rectangular-plan villa with classical detailing. Coursed hammer dressed ashlar to E, polished ashlar to W with red tinted pointing, coursed hammer dressed rubble to N and S. Long and short droved and stugged quoins; stone cills; base course, geometric fretwork base course to E and W; band course to E and W. Block carved polished mouldings; pedimented and colonnaded entrance door; canted bays; giant dormers to E and W.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation. Steps to central doorpiece, bracketed and scalloped pediment supported by crocket capitals and plain shafts, round-headed fanlight; flanking 3-light canted bay windows, bellcast roofs. Small central round-headed dormer window to attic floor; flanking 3-light canted dormer windows with dentilled cornice, polygonal piended roofs, fishscale and square coursed slated cheeks, wrought-iron finials.

S ELEVATION: 2 basement windows partially sunk below ground level; central window at ground floor.

E ELEVATION: symmetrical elevation. Central round-headed stair window close to eaves above small window; flanking bipartite stop-chamfered windows, anthemion and scrolled block carved mouldings in pediment. 2 dormer windows identical to W elevation, wrought-iron finial to right dormer (left finial missing).

N ELEVATION: basement window partially sunk below ground level to right; central modern timber lean-to porch at ground floor; round-headed window centred above;

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows; margin paned stair window. Pitched roof; grey slates; corniced ashlar gablehead stacks; circular clay cans.

INTERIOR: original Minton tiles to vestibule and hall; fine arched and modillion corniced entrance hall with original wooden staircase to rear; deep ornamental cornicing and original ceiling roses to all public rooms; no original fireplaces remain. Large unfinished basement with separate rooms, including washroom containing original boiler and sink, large internal window openings to rooms.

GATEPIERS and BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan stop-chamfered sandstone gatepiers; moulded stone base for cast-iron railings (now missing) to E; coped random rubble walls to N, S and W.

OUTBUILDING: single storey, 3-bay rectangular-plan coach house. Hammer-dressed coursed sandstone to S and E, random rubble to N and W; hammer-dressed long and short quoins; ashlar cills and eaves course to E. E (principal) elevation: central timber boarded round-headed door; flanking round-headed plate glass in timber sash and case windows. S elevation: large 2-leaf timber carriage door. W elevation: plain wallhead, incorporating boundary wall. N elevation: timber boarded door to left; small timber shuttered opening to right. Piended slate roof.

GARDEN WALLS: 3-tiered garden in grounds falling to W; dry rendered retaining walls, squared hammer dressed stones throughout; 2-flight central steps (aligned with door to villa), coped low balustrade, stone urns to top and to middle landing, carved rosettes to base.

Statement of Interest

NOTES: This house was built as part of the 19th century villa expansion towards the west from the core of North Queensferry village. Fernbank is located on a prominent, elevated site on Main Road. The varied stone work finishings and carvings have been used to decorative effect. The house retains a large ornamental garden and coach house original to the villa, while contemporary neighbours have subdivided their properties to accommodate modern houses. Formerly the home of chest physician, Sir Robert Phillips, this house was used as a hospital facility during the First World War.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q77780233 Q77780236

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 and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas