Description

Late 18th century 5-bay villa; flanking bays added 1799; Maclaren, Sons and Souter, circa 1914 addition to rear and alterations for sanatorium use; mid-late 20th century alterations. 2 storey and attic, 9 bay (arranged 1-1-5-1-1), rectangular plan, symmetrical classical house in large estate, with pedimented and pilastered central section and slightly advanced pedimented end pavilions. Harled with raised painted margins; architraved openings, straight pilastered quoins. Base course; corniced eaves course; blocking course.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: pilastered doorpiece at centre with flanking sidelights and all under decorative semi-circular fanlight; corniced windows at ground floor to bays flanking entrance. Bays flanking centre slightly recessed with round-arched openings at ground floor. End pavilions with pilastered mullioned tripartite window set under plain round-arched recess at ground floor; bowed cast iron balconies to openings at 1st floor, blind opening to left. Oculus window to pediments.

SW ELEVATION: 2 storeys; 2 bays. Round arched openings at ground floor. Mid 20th century, single storey L-plan wing adjoined to left.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: piended advanced stair tower at centre; irregular fenestration. Circa 1914 single storey, piended roof block adjoined to house and spanning full-width.

NE ELEVATION: 2 storey with later piended dormered attic breaking wallhead; 4 bays. Flat-arched window flanked by round-arched openings at ground floor, window opening to right enlarged to form entrance. Window at 1st floor to right and at attic off-centre to right changed to doors in mid 20th century and accessed by metal stairs

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Piended roof, grey slates; pitched roof to end bays; corniced ashlar ridge stacks. Curved cast iron railings with lamp standards flanking entrance steps.

INTERIOR: (seen 2011) decorative classical scheme characterised by good plasterwork and timber detailing. Central half-turn staircase with stone stairs and anthemion cast-iron balustrade; Venetian window between ground and 1st floor, now enclosed by late 20 century glazed roof; curved staircase to flanking wings. Decorative cornicing and some plasterwork to ceilings of principal rooms and entrance hall. Predominantly moulded timber architraves; some pilastered, corniced and consoled doorpieces, some arched doorpieces with decorative infills to arch; some panelled timber doors; some timber panelling to window rybats. Plaster panelling and bowed N wall at ground floor to E. Barrel-vaulted stone cellar with flagstone floor. Mid-late 20th century interior remodelling.

Statement of Interest

B-Group consisting of Noranside House; Noranside Stables and Noranside Walled Garden (see separate listings).

Noranside House is a good example of an late 18th classical house with largely unaltered principal elevation, since the addition of flanking wings in 1799. The prominent pilastered detailing of the pedimented centre is repeated at various scales in the design of the building, such as the window mullions and internally in timber door architraves. The house has been remodelled for later uses but many original features to the interior have been retained. This includes the timber panelling, decorative plasterwork and well-detailed architraves.

Noranside House was built for John Mill, a London merchant, who had acquired the estate of Fearn from the Carnegies of Southesk in 1766. His son, John Mill, extended the house in 1799 by adding a pedimented flanking wings and linking recessed bays. The estate continued to be developed in the early-mid 19th century with the addition of a stableblock to the SW and Gardener's House and Walled Garden to the NW (see separate listings). Constructed on the banks of the River Noran all the buildings are orientated toward the S and SW to take advantage of the views across the valley.

In 1914 the site became a sanatorium for the treatment of patients with tuberculosis and alterations and additions were made to the property to designs by the Dundee architectural practice, Maclaren, Sons and Souter. The practice also designed wards, laundry and boiler house which were constructed to the N and W of the house. From 1963 until October 2011 the site was used as a young offenders institute. Further alterations for this use were made to Noranside House.

List description updated 2012.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775117

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

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)