Description

John and Thomas Smith of Darnick, 1824; additions 1864 for Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax; further alterations and additions 1900 for William Young; reconfigured internally 1961-3 (see Notes). Extensive, 2-storey and basement, asymmetric, castellated mansion in Neo-Tudor style situated beside the River Tweed on the historic estate of Old Melrose. Long rectangular-plan. Pale sandstone ashlar with moulded string course between 1st and 2nd floor. Irregular fenestration. Turreted towers to corner angles; castellated parapets; crow-stepped gables; bi-partite mullioned windows with Tudor hoodmoulds; raised pointed-arch arcaded loggia to E end. Tall diamond-plan chimney flues to W end.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: 3-3-4 bay arrangement to S (garden) elevation broadly of 1824, 1864 and 1900 dates respectively.

3-BAY 1824 SECTION: S ELEVATION: slightly advanced tower bay flanked by engaged square-plan turrets; to ground, oversailing steps to pointed-arch tripartite window; further tripartite above. Canted window to left rising through basement and ground floor with castellated parapet. W ELEVATION: engaged octagonal turrets to corner angles. Crowstepped gable to parapet with carved lion panel flanked by griffin water spouts. N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: Later square-plan castellated porch with slit windows to centre with 1864 date panel above.

3-BAY 1864 SECTION: S ELEVATION: lower with castellated tower bay to right surmounted by pyramidal capped, glazed viewing room; carved inset panel above doorway to ground.

4-BAY 1900 SECTION: S ELEVATION: sundial inset to far right crowstepped gable; pointed-arched opening below with canted balustraded balcony at 1st floor. E ELEVATION: 3 arched arcaded loggia with octagonal-columns, returning to W ELEVATION: pointed-arch loggia opening to far left; canted oriel window to right at 2nd floor.

Predominantly plate glass glazing to timber sash and case windows. Grey slate. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Interest

Part of a B-Group comprising: Ravenswood House; Ravenswood, Stables; Ravenswood, North Lodge Including Gates and Railings; Ravenswood, South Lodge; Ravenswood, Summerhouse.

A grand castellated mansion house, the product of a number of remodellings by various hands, producing a broadly unified whole in the Neo-Tudor style. Situated in extensive landscaped grounds, the house is distinguished by its castellated parapets, numerous moulded details and diamond-plan shafted chimney flues, all adding significantly to its architectural and historic interest.

John and Thomas Smith of Darnick began Ravenswood House in 1824 for Major John Scott, a cousin to Sir Walter Scott and a younger of the Laird of Raeburn. The Smith brother's work constitutes the bulk of the 3-bay section to the W with its castellated parapet and slightly advanced tower bay to the S elevation. Sir Walter Scott's Journal entry of April 8, 1831 notes that he 'took leave of poor Major John Scott who, being afflicted with a distressing asthma, has resolved upon selling his house in Ravenswood, which he had dressed up with much neatness, and going abroad to Jamaica.

A number of large-scale additions and alterations were made for subsequent owner, celebrated Navy Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax, who was 27 at the time. He moved the original entrance from the S to the N side, adding the castellated porch, and raised the height of the W block adding the canted bays and the octagonal corner turrets.

Ravenswood House is currently the principal residence within the wider Ravenswood/Old Melrose estate. Stone from a 16th century house, probably built during the on or near the site of the present Old Melrose house (currently undergoing re-modelling, 2009), was used to construct the Ravenswood Summerhouse (see separate listing) incorporating a panel dated 1570.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17843981

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

• 
  For the Record
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings