Description

Late 18th century, with early 19th century wing. 2-storey and attic 3-bay symmetrical T-plan former manse. Harled walls with painted droved sandstone ashlar margins. Projecting cills to windows.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical, single storey piend-roofed porch in centre bay, windows in flanking bays, regular fenestration at 1st floor.

NW ELEVATION: 2-bay gable of principal range advanced at left, ground floor obscured by modern lean-to garage, windows at 1st floor and attic in bay to left only; rear wing recessed at right with window at 1st floor above modern single storey lean-to in re-entrant angle.

SW ELEVATION: near-symmetrical, 2-bay gable of rear wing advanced at centre, modern glazed single storey lean-to addition at ground to left, single window at 1st floor in bay to left; rear elevation of principal range recessed at left and right, blank, except for narrow window at re-entrant angle to right.

SE ELEVATION: blank gable of principal range advanced at right; 2-bay elevation of rear wing recessed at left with door at ground in bay to right, window in bay to left, regular fenestration at 1st floor.

Timber sash and case windows; 4-pane to principal elevation, 12 and 8-pane to rear wing. Grey slate roof with droved sandstone ashlar skew-copes. Harled gablehead stacks with stone copes and circular cans.

PAVILIONS: pair of symmetrically-disposed single storey gabled outbuildings flanking principal elevation; harl-pointed rubble walls with margined windows; grey slate roof with ball-finialled gableheads to SE pavilion (partially ruinous, 1997), corrugated-sheet cladding to roof, and modern garage door to gable of NW pavilion.

BOUNDARY WALLS: harl-pointed random rubble walls, substantially heightened by mid 20th century breeze block castellations, forming roughly square enclosure to NE front of house; drystone rubble wall enclosing larger secondary garden adjoining in turn to NE, with mid 20th century crenellated ?gate-house? centring NE wall.

Statement of Interest

This is a fine example of a Shetland manse, the earlier principal range being haa-like in its form, with a high wallhead concealing a garret. The Palladian layout of symmetrically-disposed pavilions is a particularly notable feature for a building of this date and type. A similar, but more agricultural version can be seen at Smithfield Haa on Fetlar. The castellations were added to the garden walls by Francis Renwick who inhabited the house in the 1960s. Although well designed, the additions detract from the Palladian form of the house which would have been enhanced by the suitably subservient scale of the original rubble garden walls.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17853563

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 Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)