Description

Single storey, single sstorey and attick, and 2-storey, irregular-plan, picturesque villa of various periods, comprising original circa early 19th century single storey cottage, extended and aggrandised at E in style of George Mathewson circa earlier 19th century forming T-plan marine villa, further extended at W by James MacLaren later 19th century forming near symmetrical S elevation. Now sub-divided. Harled, ashlar dressings, slate roof. Margined angles; most windows sash and cvase with original lying-panes at canted window S elevation E and at N elevation centre right, 2-pane and plate glass elsewhere, ashlar margins, mostly painted; some round-headed gable windows; out-of-character box dormers with metal-framed windows at S, E and N elevations; deep eaves with exposed purlins (boxed in at E), pendant detail at S, plain bargeboards; mostly diamond ridge stacks on harled and margined bases, cans of similar design; cast-iron rainwater goods.

S ELEVATION: former entrance porch advanced at centre, round-headed top-hopper window at centre, square headed windows on returns, allset in panels with mock-strapwork brackets to lintels, single and paired consoles supporting deep-eaved shalow-pitched pyramidal lead roof; former 3 windows at left, now door at left, blocked at centre, window at right; former 3 windows at right, now door at right, 2 windows at left, all set in recessed panels; 4 dormers; gable advanced at far right, 4-light canted window (bottom sashes opening as doors), consoles, deep eaves and half-piended leaded roof as at former entrance porch, window at attic, dormer at left return; gable advanced at far left, 2 storey tripartite canted window with half-piended lead roof.

E ELEVATION: door at centre of flat-roofed, timber and glazed linking section consisting of 10 narrow round-headed windows, now mostly masked by modern conservatory, dormer above, gable at right with window at ground (out of character modern frame) and 1st floor; similar gable at left with tripartite window at ground floor, blocked window above, recessed bay at far left with blocked window; later brick building at far right linked to house by close entrance and at N.

W ELEVATION: gable at centre with later entrance porch at left, indow at right and at 1st floor, modern window at left return, prominent end stack rising through eaves; blank bay at right; recessed bay at left with canted window, door with fanlight at right.

N ELEVATION: canted window at centre, paired windows at right, dormer and rooflight above; gable at left with round-headed, border-glazed stair window; gable advanced at far left with further advanced piended-roof addition, door with tripartite fanlight at right re-entrant, 2 windows at right return, former; gable advanced at far right with canted window at left, blocked window at right, small window at attic, window at left return.

INTERIOR: some original joinery and chimneypieces; well stair with cast-iron balusters; some richly decorated cornices and compartmentalised ceilings; drawing room has panelled walls and exceptionally rich plasterwork cornice and coomb ceiling; entrance hall at E end of S elevation(6 shiell Street) is octagonal with octopartite rib-vaulted ceiling springing from brackets formed by male busts, Gothic detailed doorpieces and niche; panelled walls and ceiling at entrance hall at E elevation (2 Dalhousie Road).

OUT-BUILDING: probably earlier 19th century. 2-storey, rectangular-plan, 3-bay outbuilding, possibly orginally laundry or servants' quarters. Harled rubble, slate roof. Margined angles. 12-lying-pane sash and case windows with painted margins. Deep eaves with plain bargeboards.

S ELEVATION: 2 windows masked by modern conservatory at centre, door at left, later garage door at right, 3 windows at 1st floor, lean-to at left return gable.

N ELEVATION: forms part of N boundary wall; 2-blocked openings, diamend stack.

INTERIOR: not seen.

GAME LARDER: octagonal-plan, timber game larder, louvered at upper part, slate roof.

BOUNDARYWALLS AND GATEPIERS: rubble boundary walls at N and W, brick lined and buttressed at E end; 2 ashlar gatepiers with chamferred arrises and corniced caps at W (4 Shiell Street), low ashlar-coped quadrant walls with cast-iron railings, extending N to 2 pyramidal-capped gatepiers, (2 Shiell Street).

Statement of Interest

The quality of parts of the interior is a major factor in the B listing of this building. The house was bought by James Patullo, WS, from the Earl of Dalhousie in 1863, Dalhousie probably being resposnible for the first addition to the house. The 1857-8 OS map shows a detached building, probably a coach house and stable to the north west of the house on part of the site used for the later 19th century addition; this appears to have been replaced by a building now converted to a house on the opposite side of Dalhousie Street. Abertay House is divided into 4 units.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813442

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

• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas