Description

1866-69. 2-storey, 5-bay, broad U-plan castellated Tudor gothic mansion. Battered base course with gunloop details; hoodmoulds; crenellated parapet on billetted corbelling; chamfered reveals; curved corners; corbelled bartizans; rope moulding.

SE (main) elevation: 5 bays symmetrically disposed; 3-bay entrance block slightly advanced, curved corners and bartizans defining. Steps to porch at centre; octagonal piers with crenellated caps, colonnette moulding; moulded round-arched door, monogram of James Aitken on keystones; roundels in spandrel, armorial plaque; narrow round-headed windows on returns. Heavily carved shaped parapet; plaque with ?JA? monogram; inner segmental-headed doorway with figurative keystone, likely James Aitken. Flanking tall bipartite at ground; 3 bipartites symmetrically disposed at 1st floor; ashlar guttae detailing.

Tower: square-plan tower rising behind, chamfered corners; machicolated crenellated parapet, decorative rainwater spout details; octagonal turret at rear corner; arrowloops; decorative corbelled cap. Canted bay windows at ground outer bays; crenellated blocking course; bipartite above; canted crenellated turret; arrowslits.

NE elevation: 5 bays; 2-bay block advanced to outer left; parapet terminated by octagonal turrets, turreted off-set stack at centre of parapet. 3-bay block to outer right slightly recessed, parapet terminated by squat turret.

SW elevation: 5 bays. 3-bay block to outer right; windows symmetrically disposed; off-set piers breaking parapet, framing plaque at centre. 2-bay block recessed to outer left.

NW (rear) elevation: U-plan with 2-bay symmetrical outer wings, screen wall with shaped, battlemented wallhead; stair windows behind. Symmetrical wings, blind window at ground right of left wing; jettied wallhead stack at centre. 3 round-arched traceried stair windows recessed at centre. Screen wall with shaped parapet wallhead, broad 3-centre arched door to outer left, monogrammed plaque; window to right.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof, lead flashings. Broad, corniced wallhead stacks.

Interior: sumptuous decorative schemes - tripartite etched glass vestibule door; stair hall and corridor, scagliola Corinthian columns; coffered ceiling, modillioned cornice; heavy decorative cornice, paired brackets. Wooden Imperial stair; 3 round-arched stained glass stair windows depicting Celtic mythological scene, ?JA? monogram, unsigned; niches to right and left of stair landing. Ornate marble chimneypieces in upper bedrooms. Room to W off hall; coffered, heavy decorative plasterwork; Corinthian columns with ?JA? monogram; geometric ceiling. East front room, plasterwork ceiling, egg and dart moulding, beading, dentil cornice.

Statement of Interest

The house was built for the James Aitken, whose monogram is found throughout the house. The stables, lodge, walled garden and W gatepiers are listed separately. Late example of a style first introduced to Scotland in 1814 by William Watkins at Dalmeny, followed soon after by Archibald Elliot at Newbyth, 1817.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Dalmoak House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q15109175

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)