Description

John Henderson, 1906. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa. Tooled coursed grey granite with contrasting light grey dressings finely finished to margins of S elevation; coursed rubble to remainder. Rough-faced base course; projecting cills; dividing string course; overhanging eaves.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; doorway to centre bay of ground floor, panelled timber door with glazed upper panels and letterbox fanlight, reached by stone steps, single window to 1st floor above; 5-light canted window to flanking bay to right at ground floor, with parapet forming balcony to 1st floor, tripartite window to 1st floor; piend-roofed bay advanced to left, tripartite window to ground floor, bipartite window to 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: blank; gablet detail to wallhead stack.

N ELEVATION: predominantly not seen 2000; conservatory addition to left.

W ELEVATION: large round-arched stair window near-centre, irregular fenestration to remainder; gablet detail to wallhead stack to right; single storey and attic wing to outer left.

Predominantly replacement PVCu windows. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges. Corniced gablehead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 2000.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan piers to S, with shallow pyramidal caps, low coped walls between; rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 20 Rubislaw Den North is part of the late 19th/early 20th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den North runs almost parallel to Queen's Road (on the site of Skene Road) which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned Skene Road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. John Henderson was responsible for the majority of the houses at the E end of Rubislaw Den North (on the N side of the road). 18, 20, 22 and 24 Rubislaw Den North are almost identical, and are simpler in composition and detailing than the flanking villas to the E. The original stair windows of 18-24 Rubislaw Den North supposedly illustrate Spenser's "Faerie Queen".

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56625458

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback