Description

John Duncan, dated 1878. Symmetrical 2-storey, 8-bay Alexander Thomson style double villa forming part of symmetrical terrace. Grouped 2-1-2-1-2; slightly advanced, gabled centre; flanking full-height engaged octagonal towers; gableted eaves to outer right and left. Coursed stugged sandstone; polished yellow sandstone dressings. Raised base course; overhanging timber bracketed eaves; scalloped eaves beneath towers. Sandstone quoins; long and short surrounds to openings; sandstone mullions; projecting cills; side entrances.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: bipartite windows at ground and 1st floors in 2 central bays; flanking octagonal towers comprising bipartite windows at both floors, octagonal caps, surmounting cast-iron finials. Single narrow windows at both floors in penultimate bays to outer right and left respectively; single window at ground in bays to outer right and left; bipartite windows at 1st floor beneath gabled eaves (fretted). Canopied side entrances.

2-pane timber sash and case glazing. Graded grey slate roof; grey slate octagonal caps to towers; terracotta ridge tiling. Central ridge and apex stacks; octagonal cans.

INTERIORS: not seen 1996.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: low coped whitewashed wall to Crichton Road; whitewashed, shouldered-arched datestone inscribed "Brighton Terrace 1878"; surmounting anthemion finial. Square-plan panelled gatepiers; triangular-faceted caps.

Statement of Interest

B Group with Nos 23 & 24, 27 & 28, 29 & 30, 31 & 32 and 33 & 34 Crichton Road, Brighton Terrace (see separate list entries). One of 6 double villas designed to form a symmetrical terrace to be viewed, from a distance, as a complete entity (paired with Nos 31 & 32). This emphasis on symmetry bears strong affinity with other developments along Mount Stuart Road below- see separate list entries for Nos 19 - 27, Wimbleton, Nos 33 - 44, Elysium Terrace (1875), Nos 45 - 54, Royal Terrace (1877) and Nos 55 - 60, Albany Terrace (1882). John Duncan was responsible for both Royal and Albany Terraces. Despite the loss of some balconies, fretwork, finials and glazing, Brighton Terrace retains a degree of architectural interest. Still, the symmetrical layout remains and the details which are in tact are of good quality. Here, interesting features adorn relatively plain forms to create a composition with an overall "rustic flavour" (Walker).

Rothesay is one of Scotland's premier seaside resorts, developed primarily during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and incorporates an earlier medieval settlement. The town retains a wide range of buildings characteristic of its development as a high status 19th century holiday resort, including a range of fine villas, a Victorian pier and promenade.

The history and development of Rothesay is defined by two major phases. The development of the medieval town, centred on Rothesay Castle, and the later 19th and early 20th century development of the town as a seaside resort. Buildings from this later development, reflect the wealth of the town during its heyday as a tourist destination, and include a range of domestic and commercial architecture of a scale sometimes found in larger burghs. Both the 19th and early 20th century growth of the town, with a particular flourish during the inter-war period, included areas of reclaimed foreshore, particularly along the coast to the east of the town and around the pier and pleasure gardens.

(List description revised as part of Rothesay listing review 2010-11).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q77770023 Q77770027

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

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  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
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  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
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