Description

William Motherwell, 1858 with earlier 20th century additions. 2-storey, asymmetrical, long, rambling-plan gabled villa with tower, Italiante details. Whinstone and sandstone rubble with harl pointing, ashlar sandstone margins, bull-faced dressings, bull-faced quoins. Projecting bracketted eaves.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: advanced M-gable with long jamb to outer left, earlier 20th century porch in re-entrant angle, curved outer right bay attached to rendered, earlier 20th block to outer right. Broad M-gable with slender connecting bay of bipartite windows; bipartite windows at ground of gables, bipartite window at 1st floor of gable to right, single window to left. Earlier 20th century rectangular-plan porch set at angle in re-entrant angle, clasping corner of gable; grey slate piend and platform roof, lead flashings, moulded eaves cornice; roll-moulded door with bracketted lintel at NW corner. Narrow window at 1st floor outer right of jamb, over porch, blank recessed panel at centre with shouldered wallhead stack above. Curved outer right bay, bipartite window at ground, canted tripartite window bridging corner at 1st floor, timber mullions; linked to cement-rendered block to right, blank ground floor, dormerheaded window, raised concrete cill.

W (GARDEN) ELEVATION: 5-bay main block with earlier 20th century service block and outbuildings attached at outer left. Near-symmetrical 3-bay main block with tower and recessed bay to outer right. Main block consists of broad, advanced outer gables with recessed link bay at centre. Gable to right with canted bay window, lead, half-piended roof, bracketted eaves, round-headed window at 1st floor at gablehead; gable to left with bipartite window at ground, round-headed window at 1st floor; arcade of 5-light window with round-headed glazing at ground on centre block, balcony above, door flanked by windows. 2-stage tower recessed to right, round-headed window at ground, leaded glass, bracketted cill course delineating towerhead; 3 shoulder-arched windows; advanced bracketted eaves, acroteria, finial. Recessed bay to outer right, tripartite projecting window at ground, 3 small blind arches above. Lower, 2-bay service block attached to outer left, segmental arched pend with small window above, window and dormerheaded window to outer left; single storey blocks to outer left.

S ELEVATION: gable with bow at ground, bracketted eaves, round-headed window at gablehead.

N ELEVATION: earlier 20th century cement-rendered block, dormerheaded window at centre flanked by 2 tall, corniced wallhead stacks; single storey garden sheds and outhouses attached at ground.

4-pane plate glass sash and case windows. Grey slate roof, lead flashings, rendered and coped wallhead and ridge stacks.

INTERIOR: red tiled floor in porch with wooden panelled dado; simple stair of cast-iron barley-sugar balusters; simple plasterwork.

Statement of Interest

The Linn Villa, although designed by William Motherwell, has strong similarities with Alexander Thomson's Craig Ailey. It was built in 1858 but does not appear on the 1st edition map. The house originally had its porch on the garden elevation next to the tower, but this was infilled as a projecting window to extend the drawing room in the earlier 20th century. There are earlier 20th century boiler house, engine house and greenhouses along the NE garden wall. The garden surrounding the Linn Villa was designed and laid out by Dr Jim Taggart, the present owner, and is open to the public.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775294

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)