Description

16th century L-plan tower house with (altered) early

18th century S-facing 5-bay house adjoining W gable and intercommunicating at upper floors. Tower is harled, house

is rendered; all with red ashlar dressings; slate roofs.

TOWER: possibly 1567 incorporating rectangular tower of

1420. 3 storeys, with attic; jamb (at E end of N wall)

carried 2 storeys higher, with stair turret in re-entrant

angle corbelled from near main eaves level; conical-roofed

bartizans over 3 remaining angles. Some openings

roll-moulded; crow-stepped gables. Door in re-entrant angle

of jamb, panel recess above. Wheel stair fills lower storeys

of jamb, tiny chambers to upper floors and rope and

billet-mouldings, corbelled beacon platform over S gable,

finial over N gable. Body of tower has vaulted basement,

some evidence of possible original door at 1st floor level on

E gable, with panel recess above. Asymmetrically arranged

openings to elevations, single wallhead dormer at S. Coped

end stacks, W stack rebuilt to incorporate flues of addition. cusped-headed aumbry on N wall.

HOUSE: originally 2 storeys, 5 regular and well-proportioned

bays, chamfered margins. Alterations mainly late in 19th

century: heightened a storey, with crowstepped gables,

pedimented dormer heads above eaves level, canted ground

floor windows added (porch possibly mid 19th century)

gabled rear (N) stair turret. 2nd porch, to N, with

Tudor-arched doorway, is earlier/mid 19th century. Mostly

sash windows, upper S facing windows with 12-pane glazing

pattern. Some good 18th century panelling survives in

ground floor rooms. 19th century low recessed W wing is

T-paln, its 3-bay S elevation exposed red sandstone.

Walled garden to S of house, ashlar-coped rubble-built walls

linked to tower at E and to low wing at W. Panelled and

corniced square gatepiers to S, curved quadrants and

cast-iron gates with spiked rails all earlier 19th century.

Statement of Interest

Detached coach house range to N is excluded from listing.

The rear door is shown as a window on the photograph in the

INVENTORY.

Elshieshields House up-graded B to A 4.10.88.

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

• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability