Description

James MacLaren and George Shaw Aitken, dated 1878. Large 2-storey and basement in fall of ground, near rectangular-plan, asymmetrical French chateau-style house. Snecked rubble, ashlar quoins, dressings and stacks, some pointed; slate roof. Plate glass sash and case windows with chamfered reveals, cill courses at ground and 1st floor and eaves course at S and W elevations, bracketted eaves, pilastered dormerhead windows with cast-iron finials, steeply pitched M-shaped platform roofs with pavilion roof at SW corner.

W ELEVATION: 3-bay, asymmetrical. Round-headed keystoned doorpiece at left with strapwork carving in cavetto surround with cable moulding, 10-field panelled door with plate glass fanlight; flanking massive elongated fluted consoles which with 2 smaller consoles support bipartite rectangular oriel braking eaves; central granite colonette to oriel window, nook shafts, and corniced arcaded parapet with finials. Tripartite window at ground floor right, steps to basement, larger advanced rectangular tripartite at right, 2 pilastered and gabled dormerhead windows above, centre window larger with paired octangonal-section stacks. Banded segmental-arched gateway adjoining at far left with heraldic shield '1878' in crenellated pediment.

S ELEVATION: 3-bay. Centre bay; single window at basement, paired windows with mannered surrounds at principal floor, gabled, corniced and pilastered dormerhead at 1st floor; certain windows with cast-iron railing guards and balconies. Bipartite windows at basement right with flanking consoles in plainer variant of that to W supporting rectangular tripartite oriel and bipartite gabled dormerhead at 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: plainer. Slightly advanced gable at right with stairs at basement, tripartite window at principal floor, single window at dormerhead, wallhead stack at left return. Door and 2 windows at basement left, 2 irregular windows at principal floor, dormerhead above, wallhead stack at left.

N ELEVATION: plain, lean-to at ground to left with 2 doors, asymmetrical fesestration.

WALLS AND GATEPIERS: 3 stop-chamfered gatepiers with conical caps, set at angle with coped rubble walls at Camphill Road and Whinnybrae.

INTERIOR: largely original throughout. Entrance porch with pattern encaustic tile floor, panelled dado; 6-pane stained glass window in hall (1 panel missing), wrought-iron and gauze radiator cover. Large square-plan central stairwell; ornate stone sculpted chimneypiece with some gilt decoration, panelled dado, cantilevered well stair with bracketted landing, lincrusta moulding, elaborately carved panelled balusters, large urn finials at corners, 2 with column lamps at landing, moulded cornice and ceiling decoration, richly patterned stained glass top-light. Drawing room; marble chimneypiece, richly moulded arch to window at W, panelled window jambs, painted floral cornice and rose. Timber panelled chimneypiece, some bookshelves with carved cornices. Dining room; timber panelled dado, window jambs and doorpieces, sculpted stone-bracketted strip timber ceiling and cornice, timber galleried segmental-arched alcove to carved chimneypiece with paired elongated consoles and overmantle, much stencilled decoration. Some marble chimneypieces in 1st floor bedrooms.

Statement of Interest

Built for James Mudie.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813411

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 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas