Description

Early 19th century with wings added later/late 19th century. Two-storey and attic and basement, symmetrical classical mansion, comprising three-bay main block with short two-storey and basement; flanking wings. Pilastered doorcase to principal (south) elevation. Red sandstone ashlar; partially rendered. Cill band to ground floor windows (except to north side of main block); moulded eaves cornice surmounted by low parapet. Moulded architraved openings except to basement of principal elevation and rear (north) side of original block. Vertical margins at angles of original block (pilaster-like to principal elevation) and west wing.

South (principal) elevation: seven bays. Steps up to central entrance to original main block. Later balustraded parapet. Pilastered doorpiece with entablature. Replacement six-panel timber door surmounted by leaded fanlight. Flanking windows to each floor and one above at first floor and attic. Later flat-headed dormers to attic. Later two-bay wings set back slightly to either side; window to each bay to first and second floors and to basement of right wing.

North elevation: five bays. Later flat-headed dormers to attic. Later wing set back slightly to right including two-light mullioned window at basement. Canted three-sided bay projects to later wing to left. Cill course at first floor.

East elevation: three bays to later wing. Window to each bay to ground and 1st floors except to central bay of first floor (that to left of first floor blocked).

West elevation: canted three-light window to ground and first floor of later wing.

Mainly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Piended grey slate roofs (more steeply pitched to accommodate later attic to main block). Pair of tall coped ridge chimney stacks to main block and coped ridge and wallhead chimney stack to east wing. Also pair of later projecting wallhead chimney stacks at east end with round cans.

Interior: retains a number of neo-Georgian fixtures and fittings (of early-earlier 20th century date) including doorcases incorporating Adamesque fan-like motif at head, six-panel timber doors and timber panelled dado to most of ground floor. Full-height timber panelling to living room; fitted bookcases with central arched sections; carved timber fireplace surround (incorporating fasces-type motif). Dining room dado dentilled; carved timber fireplace surround incorporating egg and dart motif (and marble inner surround); intact dumb waiter to adjacent serving space. Grey marble fireplace surround (probably slightly earlier than most of other fittings), panelled walls and fluted border to ceiling to rear sitting room. Slightly later (circa 1930's) principal staircase; winding servants' staircase with cast iron balustrade.

Summer House: early 20th century. Square-plan boarded timber summer house with pyramidal thatched roof with overhanging eaves. Four-leaf timber door with glazed upper panels to one side (serpentine timber handrail to lower outer flanking panels in front of door); window to each of flanking sides. Formerly built onto a wheel mechanism which allowed summer house to be rotated.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Steading/Stable Block, Entrance Lodge and Gateway and Walled Garden.

An early 19th century house, sympathetically extended with near matching wings in the late 19th century (both extensions are shown on the 1898 Ordnance Survey map but neither on that of 1865). It retains a substantial amount of Neo-Georgian internal fittings. The main block is thought to have been built in around 1806 when the property passed to William Leckie (Leiper) on the death of the last in line of the Stewart family who had owned the estate since the late 17th century. The estate changed hands various times between 1826 and 1873 when it was split up; part of the lands being sold to the Wilson family of Aucheneck, part to Charles Haldane Wilson of Dalnair; the house and grounds were sold to John Wilson, a Glasgow shipowner, who would appear to have had added the wings. On his death in 1928 the house was sold to Mrs Amy Shand (who is thought to have undertaken much of its internal modernisation) and for much of the latter part of the 20th century it belonged to the Mitchell family.

The summerhouse is among a relatively small number of buildings with a thatched roof found across Scotland. Listed building record revised in 2020 as part of the Thatched Buildings Listing Review.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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

• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)