Description

Earlier 19th century. 2-storey, 3-bay almost U-plan villa with later minor alterations. Coursed lightly droved ashlar to S; white harling with ashlar dressings to N, E and W. Base course; cornice; panelled pilaster-quoins; cornices and architraved surrounds to ground floor window to S. S ENTRANCE elevation: 3-bay, symmetrical with central advanced and pedimented bay and pilaster-quoins to outer left and right. Double-pilastered and corniced doorpiece; panelled door; border-glazed fanlight. Single windows in bays to outer left and right.

E ELEVATION: 6-bay, 2 storeys in 2 bays to outer left and single storey in remaining bays; large bowed bay to outer left with single windows at ground and 1st floor in 2nd bay from left. Single window at ground in 3rd bay; bipartite dormer offset to right above. Single window in 4th bay. Secondary entrance in 5th bay. Single window in bay to outer right. W ELEVATION: 3-bay, 2 storeys in 2 bays to outer right. Single windows in bay to outer right. Advanced 5-light canted window at ground in central bay (1916); single window at 1st floor. 2 single windows at ground in 1st bay; recessed 3-light canted window corbelled out above. 12-pane sash and case windows. Grey slate piended roof; harled and coped stacks with quoin strips.

INTERIOR: decorative plaster cornices; plaster roses with figurative painted centres; cast-iron balusters and timber handrail; panelled library or smoking room with timber fireplace; vaulted drawing room (1916). CARRIAGE HOUSE: 2-storey piend-roofed carriage house and stable (hayloft above) with single storey coachmans house with chamfered angle adjoining, forming part of boundary wall to Whitehouse Loan.

GATES GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: pedestrian gateways flanking carriage gateway to left and right; panelled and studded pedestrian and carriage gates with decorative iron hinges; 4 corniced ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps; carriage spurs; high coped rubble mutual and boundary walls.

Statement of Interest

It is not clear whether the White House takes its name from the harling of its N, E and W elevations, or rather from the older Whitehouse which stood to the N and was incorporated into St Margaret's Convent (now Gillis College) in 1835 (the latter seems more probable). The 2 service wings appear to be original. The service court has been partially filled with a 2-storey addition, and the E wing extended to the N. The W-facing drawing room was remodelled and extented in 1916 by J N Scott & A Lorne Campbell.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17806459

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

• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)