Description

3-storey and basement 9-bay classical mansion house with chequered building history. Central 7-bay block apparently early 18th century rebuilding of 17th century house incorporating older tower (probably 16th century); extended at eithe rend circa 1790; border tower added to SW corner in 1834/5, perhaps by John Dobson of Newcastle, with early 20th century alterations. Interior refitted in early 20th century; Library by Sir Guy Dawber; some other work by John Watherston & Sons, 1916. Ashlar.

N ELEVATION: 3-storey and raised basement 9-bay entrance front; long and short quoins, chamfered arrises. Attic and basement windows shorter. Base course, basement below finished with rust coloured render. Cavetto moulded eaves and pediment. Central 3 bays projecting, pedimented; projecting outer bays same height but 2-storey. Regular fenestration. Steps with moulded treads and applied scrols to the side, supported on a basket arch over basement area to door at centre. 2-leaf 6-pane graduated fielded panel doors; rectangular fanlight with geometric glazing. Baroque Tuscan doorpiece with 3 layers of superimposed pilasters, outer fluted, and cornice. Ground and 1st floor windows with reeded arrises, those at 1st floor with shouldered architraves. 4 flanking bays, outer right with panelled door and 3-light rectangular fanlight at basement; central 7 bays with 2nd floor windows at eaves level. Outer bays with tall Venetian window at ground, single window above and pair of basement windows.

W ELEVATION: 3-storey; basemtn built out to square; pair of glazed doors at centre flanked by large square windows; projecting piend roofed veranda with rustic timber supports; cast-iron railings to terrace above; terrace also approached by stone steps from S. 3-bay bow at centre above, taller windows to 1st floor; long and short quoins to N.

S ELEVATION: 3-storey and raised basement 9-bay garden front; regular fenestration; disposition mirrors N elevation bar 3 centre bays. Base course above basement; 3-bay semi-circular rubble bow at centre; 4 flanking bays and entire basement finished with rust coloured render. Outer projecting bays rubble. Tower adjoings W corner.

E ELEVATION: 2-storey and basement with 3-bay bow at centre; long and short quoins to N. Basement area with subterranean cellars, approached from N. Tower adjoins S corner.

TOWER: 3-stage square tower; clasping buttresses, corbel course to crenellations. Window to each floor at centre on each elevation; hoodmoulds; later (early 20th century) windows, orange sandstone with heavy moulded hoodmoulds to all but N elevation. Base course. Later (probably early 20th century) mansard roof.

E ELEVATION: small bipartite windows to each floor. Single dormer.

S ELEVATION: 10-light mullioned and transomed window at ground; 6-light at 1st floor; 3-light mullioned only window at 2nd floor. 2 dormers.

W ELEVATION: entrance at left; Tudor doorway adjoined by closet window to left; mullioned 3-light window to right; 10-light mullioned and transomed iwnodw at 1st floor; 3-light mullioned window to 2nd floor.

N ELEVATION: original ashlar bipartites to each floor, bracketed cills, delicate hoodmoulds. Entrance to basement from area. 2 oculi dormers in mansard.

12-pane timber sash and case windows throughout, except centra terrace window of E front, with French casement window to lower half, and leaded metal casemtn windows to all elevations of Tower except N.

4 symmetrical ashlar stacks to platform of main block, with pulvinated coping; clustered angle chimneys at S of Tower. Grey/green slates. Cavetto moulded eaves; cast-iron rainwater goods and railings to stairs. INTERIOR: relatively plain, but in good condition; extensively refitted in early 20th century. Vestibule with 2-leaf panelled doors with glazed inset leads via Edwardian Baroque pedimented doorcase flanked by Ionic columns to inner hall containing cantilevered stone stair. Garden room beyond, flanked to W by Small Dining Room with 18th century panelling imported from London at the beginning of 20th century, to E study with Spanish leather wallhangings inserted at a similar date and marble basket arch fire surround. Outer rooms full depth of house; to W Dining Room with plain fireplace, dado; to E Drawing with Adam-style fireplace with flanking paired Corinthian columns and figurative tablet at centre of frieze (this also introduced in 20th century), dado. Spiral stair to N between Dining Room and Hall with barleytwist turned balusters. Above Drawing Room, Library with plain fitted shelves lining all walls.

BIRD POOL: to E of house early 20th century triangular stone Lorimerian bird pool with herons at each corner, mounted on a large stepped triangular base.

GATEPIERS, TERRACES AND WALLED GARDEN: erected since 1933; on axis to S, closing dwarf-walled Italian garden, with decorative wrought-iron gates to sequence of terraces with ponds, joined by axial stone steps. Piers of reddish droved sandstone with coping stones supporitng 17th century lions rampant (each lion holds child's head between its paws); similar quadrant walls.

ENTRANCE GATES: main gates, opposite church, with square droved ashlar piers and pyramidal caps support timber gates; secondary flanking piers with coping stones. Rubble quadrant walls.

gates to N, at Camptown, similar but on smaller scale.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17567914

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6