Description

George Anderson, 1905-6. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa. Rough-faced grey granite ashlar finely finished to margins at S elevation; Aberdeen bond rubble to remainder. Base course; dividing band course; overhanging eaves; timber bargeboards; half-timbered and pebble-dashed detail to gableheads.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; doorway to centre bay of ground floor, panelled timber door with leaded fanlight above, panelled timber door with leaded upper pane and fanlight to centre bay of 1st floor leading to iron balcony at centre and left bays; 3-light shallow bowed window to bay to left supporting balcony, gableted bipartite window to 1st floor breaking eaves, rectangular dormer to centre of attic floor; advanced gabled bay to right, 4-light canted window through ground and 1st floors supporting projecting gablehead.

E ELEVATION: asymmetrical; 2-bay; single windows off-centre to right of ground and 1st floors of bay to left; gabled bay advanced to right, regular fenestration to left, 2 narrow windows to left return, single window to right return. Single storey and attic wing adjoining to outer right, irregular fenestration to ground floor, flat-roofed bipartite windows breaking eaves to upper floor, horizontal window to outer right.

N ELEVATION: asymmetrical; wing advanced to left, doorway to centre of ground floor, pair of small square windows above, regular fenestration to remainder, regular openings to ground floor of right return, flat-roofed window breaking eaves to 1st floor at right. Small windows to ground floor of centre bay, mullion and transomed tripartite stair windows above, with stained glass, glazed door to ground floor of bay to right, flanked by glazed panels and surmounted by stained glass fanlight, single window to 1st floor above; 3-light dormer with catslide roof to centre bay of attic floor, flanked to left and right by bipartite rectangular dormers.

W ELEVATION: 2 windows to centre of ground floor, gablet above.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows with geometrically leaded and stained glass upper sashes, some diamond-pane leaded windows. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges. Coped wallhead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods, top hopper dated "1906" to S elevation.

INTERIOR: mosaic floor to porch, glazed inner door and fanlight with unusual tracery pattern; timber staircase; decorative cornicing; mouldings and some fireplaces survive.

BALUSTRADING, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: balustrade to E of house; square-plan tooled granite ashlar gatepiers to S with pyramidal caps, low stepped walls between; brick and granite coped rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 42 Rubislaw Den South is part of the late 19th/early 20th 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 were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. 42 Rubislaw Den South has particularly fine leaded glass, and survives virtually unaltered.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56625499

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.

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