Description

Mid 19th century, possibly incorporating earlier fabric. Villa with extensive modern additions to SE and NE. 2-storey, 4-bay asymmetrical baronial house with circular 3-stage corner tower to NW angle, crowstepped gables and painted stone parapets over square-plan entrance. Squared and snecked cream sandstone ashlar with stugged and polished dressings. Raised cills to ground and 1st floor windows; string course to square bay to right and to canted bay above; string course between ground and 1st floor; coped parapet above projecting entrance porch with statue of Jesus flanked by obelisks; string courses dividing stages to tower; dentilled cornice to tower. Chamfered reveals and long and short surrounds to windows; long and short quoins to entrance porch.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: raised, pilastered and corniced doorpiece at ground to projecting porch in bay to centre; replacement part-glazed door with large rectangular fanlight; window to each return; evenly disposed window and French window at 1st floor above; carved shield plaque to crowstepped gable above. Window at each floor in 2 bays set back to left. Window to 2 sides of tower at each stage (those at 1st and 2nd stage to NW blocked). Window to square bay to right; parapet above; 3-light canted window at 1st floor; crowstepped gablet above.

SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay block set back to right with 3-light bowed bay to left. Window at ground in bay to centre; window at 1st floor; crowstepped gablet above. Window at each floor with gabled dormers and bargeboards above in each bay flanking. 3-light full height projecting bowed bay to left with parapet between floors; crowstepped gable with truncated half-conical roof.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2-bay with corner tower to left. Bipartite window at ground in crowstepped gabled bay to right of centre; window at 1st floor above. Pitched addition at ground in bay to left; window at 1st floor above with flanking stack.

Some 4-pane timber sash and case with some replacement uPVC windows. Grey slate roof; grey fish scale slates to tower, to truncated roof to canted bay and to semi-conical roof to SE; ashlar coped stacks; cast- iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen, 1997.

Statement of Interest

The modest core of the now much extended Nazareth House was originally called Eldin House and is marked as such on the 1854 and 1894 OS maps. The Roman Catholic Order the Sisters of Nazareth took over the house, re-named it and converted it to a convent, which it now remains. It was considerably extended in 1933 by Reid and Forbes and also displays later additions and alterations (none of the above additions have been included in the current listing). The original Eldin House was once the home of John Clerk, author of the "Essay on Naval Tactics" which is regarded as having influenced sea-powers in the Napoleonic Wars. John Clerk's son, Lord Eldin, was a notable lawyer.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77772099

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

• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)