Description

Probably Alexander Thomson, mid 19th century. 2-storey, 4-bay, shallow gabled villa with Italianate details. Whinstone rubble with harl pointing, polished honey-coloured sandstone margins and dressings; base couse, quoins; chamfered reveals.

W (MAIN) ELEVATION: 3-bay main block with 4th bay recessed to outer left. Depressed gabled block at penultimate bay to left, ashlar bow at ground, half-domed lead roof on timber brackets; bipartite, round-headed window at 1st floor, centre colonnette with carved acanthus leaf decoration, channelled voussoirs. Lean-to porch bay in re-entrant angle to right, ashlar steps up to round-arched door, die with acanthus leaf detail, 2-leaf panelled door, plate glass fanlight; small window at 1st floor. Tripartite window at ground outer right; bipartite window at 1st floor directly under eaves, bargeboarded gable on paired timber brackets breaking eaves; bracketted cill. Curved conservatory against right return, masking door and window at ground, 2 round-headed windows symmetrically disposed at centre of 1st floor. Slightly lower 2-storeyed bay to outer left, bipartite window at ground, single window at 1st floor.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: painted harl; 4 asymmetrical bays; broad asymmetrical gable advanced to left with piend-roofed single storey jamb at ground, large stair window to outer left, narrow windows at ground, 1st floor symmetrically disposed to right, 2-bay piend-roofed block slightly recessed to outer right, 2 windows at 1st floor, boarded door with letterbox fanlight at ground left.

CONSERVATORY: large bowed conservatory against right gable; ashlar base course, large plate glass windows, lantern platform roof, 2 round-arched windows at 1st floor.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows on main elevation, 4-pane sash and case, 4-pane over 6-pane sash and case, broad 6-pane sash and case, picture window on rear elevation. Grey slate roof, lead flashings; sandstone coped ridge stacks, round cans; rosette decoration on rafter end on gables, console skewputts.

INTERIOR: not seen 1993.

COACHHOUSE: jamb at rear right. Painted harl with lean-to corrugated-iron roof, 2 boarded coach doors with centre half-glazed door at centre, letterbox fanlight.

SUNDIAL: dated 1725, low baluster sundial with copper gnomons (not original to the house).

GATES, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALL: decorative cast-iron gates. Painted square piers with, cornice of rosette decoration, rounded caps. Harled rubbble wall with quartz boulder coping.

Statement of Interest

Grafton exhibits many of the features of Alexander Thomson?s villa design. It is among the finer villas of the type along Rosneath Road.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775199

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

• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)