Description

Fated 1883; gabled canopy at entrance porch probably slightly later, attributed to Charles Edward and homas S Robertson. Large 2-storey, rectangular plan gabled farmhouse, made U-plan by lower 2-storey service wings.Stugged snecked rubble, ashlar dressings, slate roof. Base course, rusticated quoins; mostly single windows, two 2-storey canted windows at S, droved ashlar with arpons, capitalled mullions and moulded cornice at ground floor, plate-glass and 4-pane glazing, stop-chamfered reveals to S, chamfered at stair window; deep eaves with moulded rafter and purlin ends and moulded bargeboards, corniced ridge stacks with many original tall cream cans with terrocotta decoration; rectangular and round cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative moulding, brackets and hoppers, elaborate cast-iron finials to gables and dormerheads (some missing). W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: single storey gabled porch with window advanced frommain house at right, door at right return, gabled canopy with decorative bargeboards supported by Peterhead granite colonettes with bulbous capitals on tiered, square chamfered to ogtagonal, droved ashlar bases; single window at ground floor right, initialled panel 'GEW' at 1st floor; bipartite window at ground floor left, 2 windows at 1st, shouldered stack rising from wallhead through eaves; lower 2-storey service wing at far left, door at ground floor centre, 2 dormerheaded windows breaking through eaves.

S ELEVATION: 3 bays, symmetrical. Outer bays each consist of 2-storey canted window with facetted roof; centre bay has tripartite window at ground floor with corbelled cill and pilastered margins and mullions, corniced parapet with decorative cast-iron balustrade; 2 windows at recessed 2nd floor; gabled and finialled dormer with segmental window.

E ELEVATION: cross-plan timber-framed conservatory on stone base at left with brick stack adjoining house, window at ground floor far left; window and bipartite at ground floor right, 2 windows at 1st; blank bay at far right.

N ELEVATION: tripartite and mullioned stair window at centre, window at ground and 1st floor right. Lower 2-storey wing advanced at left with slightly later addition recessed and further advanced, gabled porch at re-entrant angle, window at left and 2 dormerheaded windows breaking through eaves at left return elevation; ground floor window at gable. Similar wing advanced at right but without addition; blocked door and 2 windows at ground floor left return elevation, dormerheaded window breaking through eaves; ground floor window at gable.

INTERIOR: most original features retained. Richly decorated plaster cornices, beams, consoles and compartmentalised ceilings in principal ground floor rooms; original chimneypieces; well stairs with carved balusters, tapestry affixed to wall, stained glass window; bathroom has unusual frieze of (probably stencilled) aquatic scenes.

GAME STORE: single storey, rectangular-plan game store SE of house. Rubble, dilapidated thatch roof. Door at W, window at S. Interior has stone slab shelves.

ENCLOSING WALL AND GATEPIERS: rubble enclosing wall, squat ashlar gatepiers (possibly cut-down) with ball finials and modern wrought-iron gates.WALLED GARDEN AND COACH HOUSE: flat-coped rubble walled garden at N of house, cast-iron gates at S wall; rectangular-plan building of snecked rubble and slate adjoining SE corner presumed to be coach house, 2-leaf door and single door (interior not inspected).

GATEPIERS AND ADJOINING WALLS: 2 widely spaced, round-section, ogival-capped gatepiers with adjoining rubble quadrant walls at entrance to farmhouse and steding at S.

TIMBER PIERS: 2 partly chamfered, square-section timber piers with ball finials at W entrance to farmhouse and steading.

Statement of Interest

The Dundee and Newtyle Railway (opened 1831) originally passed hard by Pitpointie farm, but was re-routed through Dronley in 1860. The present farmhouse was built for George Willsher, wine and spirit dealer of Dundee whose initials appear on the west elevation. All trace of the original farmhouse and steading appears to have disappeared but is shown in plan on a drawing dated 1759. The timber piers at the west entrance to Pitpointie may derive from the original Dundee and Newtyle Railway which crossed the public road at about this point. The richness of the plasterwork is an important factor in the listing of Pitpointie farmhouse.

Recommended Books

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)