Description

James A Morris, dated 1893. 2-storey and attic, near T-plan detached house with Art Nouveau details. Stugged red sandstone and harl. 1st floor string course; timber eaves.

SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance to advanced Dutch-gabled bay; buttress to left; keystone and mutuled frieze to square-headed, corniced doorpiece; recessed timber door; keystoned relieving arch above; shallow recess below; bipartite square opening to right; date and name stone above; narrow single window aligned above at 1st floor; slim shaft rising centrally through Dutch gable; slim shafts rise from canted corner angles; finials atop; single window at ground floor; 2 single windows at 1st floor to re-entrant angle to left; single windows to right at ground and 1st floor to re-entrant angle to right. 3 stained windows at ground floor to recessed bays to left; 2 single windows at 1st floor; single window to flat-roofed dormer at attic. 3 single windows at ground floor; 2 single windows at 1st floor to recessed bays to right; leaded inner narrow stair window, narrow windows flanking breaking string course and at attic; single window to flat-roofed dormer at attic. Glazed timber entrance to lean-to to outer right.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: single windows at ground floor to off-centre harled canted bay; bipartite windows at 1st floor corbelled bay; corniced plaque to deep parapet above; finial to roof; Quadripartite transomed and mullioned window to right at ground floor; bipartite window at 1st floor; quadripartite flat-roofed dormer at attic with segmental pediment above. Quadripartite window at ground floor to left (relieving arch over); single window at 1st floor. Bipartite window to outer left at ground floor; shallow segmental tripartite oriel window at 1st floor. Glazed timber door to lean-to at ground.

NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: bipartite windows flank tall, banded wallhead stack at attic. Catslide roof to lower section meets boundary wall (see below).

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: single window to right at ground floor; single windows flank tall wallhead stack at attic.

Variety of glazing patterns including leaded, timber sash and case and casement windows. Slate roof; stone skews; skewputts; rooflights; timber eaves; pitch and gablehead coped, harled stacks; circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: variety of predominantly timber fireplaces, including decorative tiled surrounds; timber dado panelling to bathroom; timber box toilet; timber balustraded arched staircase; Kemco range (Glasgow); timber panelled entrance porch; stained and leaded windows.

SUNDIAL, GATEPIERS, GATE AND BOUNDARY WALL: polygonal-plan sundial base, carved shaft, table dial, metal gnomon; channelled square-plan gatepiers with tall pyramidal caps, 2-leaf timber gate; additional pedestrian keystoned entrance, timber gate; coped boundary wall encloses site (castellated in part). Interesting interior walling formed from stones and heads found on Morris' travelling expeditions.

Statement of Interest

Built by James A Morris (1857-1942), an Ayr architect, as his personal home, the house was extended in 1914 and remained in the Morris family until 1991. Exterior features of note include the advanced entrance bay with its mutuled doorpiece and the oriel window to the rear of the property. The interior features are executed to a very high standard and include a variety of fireplaces, tiling and an impressive timber staircase. Morris trained as an architect with Lindsay Miller in Glasgow, before setting up in Ayr with JK Hunter. Alongside his architectural work, he campaigned to save the Auld Brig (see separate list description) and was a leading figure in the development of the Scottish Art Workers' Guild.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17570630

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

• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)