Description

ST CUTHBERT WITHOUT

33/0/10009 Scalesceugh Hall
23-AUG-05

II
Country house, now Residential Home, 1746 and 1913-14, later house by Alexander N Paterson of Glasgow, for John R Harrison. Rendered with buff sandstone dressings and detailing in Franch chateau style, under a Westmorland slate roof. Two storeys plus basement floor to south-west, farmhouse two storey. Irregular, skewed H plan, with main fronts to south-west and south-east, and link from east corner to 1746 farmhouse. South-east elevation: central single storey projecting porch with Ionic pilasters and glazed front, with door to the side that has heavily moulded surround with Latin inscription over: BEATUS ILLE OVI PROCUL NEGOTIIS
PATERNA RURA BOBUS EXERCET SUIS
SOLUTUS OMNI FENORE To the left, two tall small-paned sash windows with Gibbs surrounds then stepped-out bay with window, then gabled wing with full height canted bay window with separate hipped roof. To the right, three similar windows, then gabled wing with link to farmhouse and external stack with exposed stone in the corner. Upper floor windows are smaller multi-paned sashes. Porch has solid stone balcony with ball finials above pilasters. Segmental broken pediment with niche above windows over porch. Rusticated quoins, dripcourse to first floor and moulded eaves with dentils. South-west elevation: central curved bay with three windows to first floor supported by two Ionic pillars which front an open vestibule linked to the garden by a curved double staircase with decorative wrought iron balustrading. Symmetrical layout of two windows to either side, then square bay with tri-partite windows to front and gabled above. Basement floor in snecked stone, other details as south-east front. Link at first floor level from east end of south-east front has mock-Tudor framing over an elliptical archway with thick pillars in dressed stone. Keystone has inscription of J.R.H and M.K.H, flanked by 1915 and 1684. Farmhouse. now offices, has three bay hall and one cross-wing, in rendered stone with Westmoreland slate roof, 6-over-6 horned sash windows in stone surrounds, stone kneelers and a large end stack to the cross-wing.
INTERIOR: Entrance hall beyond entrance vestibule, entered via glazed door with semi-circular fanlight, with delicate ceiling mouldings and a wooden panelled screen with pierced and carved decoration, leading to the dining room and service rooms. Ornate fireplace with bas-relief carved classical figures in panel above. To the left are the principal rooms including drawing room with plasterwork wall and ceiling panels and ornate fireplace with classical inspired surround and floral motif with painted cartouche above, library and billiard room with moulded cornices and panelled wood fire surround. To the rear of the hall, a galerywith elliptiacl arched ceiling an arched doorways to either side. Main staircase to rear, of wood with carved and pierced balusters in the same style as the screen below, and with pulpit-like bow at first floor landing. To right of screen, doors to service corridor, flower room, cloakroom and dining room. Dining room has deep cornices, a stone carved fireplace and wooden panel frames. All these rooms are largely unaltered in plan and original features. First floor rooms have been partially sub-divided and altered.
HISTORY: The date of 1746 for the farmhouse is on a datestone. There is no physical evidence for the 1684 date over the archway to the farmhouse, and this may refer to references to the family. The house was built in 1913 to 1914 for John R Harrison by the Glasgow architect Alexander N Paterson.
EVALUATON OF IMPORTANCE
A large country house built in 1913-14, in Neo-Georgian style with strong vernacular influences, it survives in remarkably good and original condition with an unaltered exterior and a good level of survival of internal features of very high quality. It represents the very latest flowering of the country house tradition in England. It merits listing at Grade II.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26670868

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

• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)