Description

William Henderson, 1893. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa with contemporary single storey billiard room wing adjoining to N. Rough-faced coursed grey granite ashlar, finely finished to margins of NE elevation; coursed granite rubble to remainder. Rough-faced and finely finished base course; ground and 1st floor cill and lintel courses; overhanging eaves; timber bargeboards. Architraved openings to ground floor of SE elevation.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; distinctive doorpiece to centre bay of ground floor, roll-moulded round-arched doorway, polished pink granite spheres set in spandrels, unusual triple arcaded fanlight, round-arched panelled timber door; window to centre of 1st floor above. Gabled bay to left and advanced to right, bipartite windows to ground, 1st and attic floors, delicate iron finial to apexes. Single storey gabled wing adjoining to outer right, tripartite window to centre, stone mullion and transoms, deeply chamfered outer angles, with round-arched window openings to each chamfer, rectangular window pane, foliate cartouche set in tympana.

NW ELEVATION: gabled; ground floor obscured by single storey wing, advanced to right, window to left return; squat tripartite window with leaded glass centred in gablehead.

SW ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

SE ELEVATION: gabled; 2-storey block advanced to centre, architraved doorway to right return, panelled timber door, moulded parapet above.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof with lead ridges. Coped stone skews with scrolled skewputts. Corniced gablehead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative iron hoppers.

INTERIOR: not seen 2000.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: 2 pairs of obelisk granite gatepiers with shallow pyramidal caps to NE, low rough-faced granite walls between; rubble walls with brick and granite coped to remainder.

Statement of Interest

Forest Road is built on the site of Stocket Forest, hence the appropriate name which was chosen by Sir Alexander Anderson, Lord Provost at the time. From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 22 Forest Road is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Stocket Forest was originally part of the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned Skene Road (which was renamed Queen's Road) and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as William Henderson, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. The decorative doorpiece, fine iron finials and unusual wing are of particular note.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17779960

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

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  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
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  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)