Description

George Coutts, 1895. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa with Jacobean detailing. Rough-faced coursed grey granite finely finished to margins of S elevation; Aberdeen bond rubble to remainder. Base course; dividing band course; stone transoms to S elevation; light grey long and short quoins; overhanging eaves; timber bargeboards.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; Tudor-arched doorway to centre bay at ground floor, chamfered reveals and stepped hoodmould, 2-leaf panelled timber door with decorative stained glass fanlight above, bipartite window to 1st floor; kneelered gable breaking eaves to bay to left, piend-roofed rectangular-plan tripartite window to ground floor, tripartite window to 1st floor above, arrowslit opening set in gablehead; curvilinear gabled bay advanced to right, 4-light canted window to ground floor, with stepped parapet forming balcony to 1st floor, tripartite window to 1st floor, squat tripartite window to attic floor.

E ELEVATION: gabled; window to centre of 1st floor. Wing adjoining to outer right.

N ELEVATION: asymmetrical; large bipartite window to centre bay; bay to right not seen 2000. Gabled wing advanced to left, with lean-to conservatory to right return, advanced turret to re-entrant angle, with doorway to ground floor and window above.

W ELEVATION: gabled.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Green-grey slate roof with terracotta ridges. Coped gablehead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: mouldings survive; glazed inner door; decorative plasterwork ceiling to entrance hall, timber staircase with turned balusters.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan granite ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps to S, low coped ashlar walls between; granite and brick coped rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 28 Rubislaw Den South is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den South 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, such as George Coutts, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. The use of Jacobean detailing at 28 Rubislaw Den South is particularly unusual. In addition to the contrasting gableheads and decorative door and doorway the interior is also of note.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17769807

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)