Description

Later to late 19th century incorporating later 17th century, classically-detailed opening, with service block to side dated 1908, further service wing dated 1938. Symmetrical 2-storey, 3-bay plain classical house with full-height, single bay projection recessed to outer right; single storey with attic, single bay projection to left; 2-storey service wing recessed to outer left. Predominantly squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone; squared and snecked-effect, tooled render to later service wing. Raised base course; raised eaves course; corniced eaves. Stugged quoins; stugged long and short surrounds to openings; sandstone mullions; projecting cills.

NW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: main block with flat-roofed porch centred at ground comprising timber panelled door, narrow sidelights, round-arched fanlight, keystoned door surround, angle pilasters, corniced eaves; tripartite window aligned at 1st floor (narrow side lights). Bipartite windows at both floors in flanking bays. Single window at ground in bay recessed to outer right; blocked opening above. Single bay projection adjoined to left with bipartite window at ground; piend-roofed bipartite dormer breaking eaves above. 2-storey service wing recessed to outer left with piended porch off-set to left of centre, flat-roofed projection to right.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay with full-height, piended projection at centre. Bipartite window surround centred at ground with keystoned, round-arched openings, pilastered reveals, fluted pilaster at centre dated '1675' with carved foliate capital; blocked bipartite window aligned at 1st floor. Small window at 1st floor in bay recessed to outer left; blind at both floors in bay recessed to outer right.

SE (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay house with bipartite windows at both floors in central full-height bow; tripartite window at ground in bay to right; bipartite window aligned at 1st floor; bipartite door opening at ground in bay to left; bipartite window above. Full-height, single bay projection recessed to outer left with single windows at both floors. Single storey with attic, single bay projection to right comprising steps to 2-leaf, small-pane glazed door centred at ground, narrow sidelights; tripartite window aligned above (narrow sidelights); panel dated '1908' between floors. Irregularly fenestrated 2-storey, 3-bay service wing recessed to outer right.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows; some 4-pane glazing at rear; small rooflights. Grey slate piended roofs; brick-built ridge and wallhead stacks; various circular cans. Iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: timber panelled doors; some timber dado panelling. Timber stair with balustered uprights, panelled, corniced and ball-finialled square-plan newels, timber handrails. Decorative plasterwork to ground floor reception rooms; some original fireplaces. Remainder not seen 1998.

ENTRANCE WALL: harl-pointed rubble wall to W with large, round-arched opening flanking entrance.

Statement of Interest

Set to the SE of, and originally associated with a former peel tower - see separate list entry for 'Purves Hall (Tower)'. It is assumed that the 17th century window incorporated within the house came from the tower - its 17th century wing having been demolished about the time of the house's construction. Although extended to the side, there remain some good details - the plate glass windows, corniced eaves and near symmetrical elevations being particularly notable, though the 17th century fragment is the principal reason for listing. A much-weathered sundial, with circular cup-hollows set in its polyhedral head, stands in the grounds of the house. The nearby walled garden, jointly owned by both Purves Hall (Tower) and Purves Hall (House), is listed separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77773600

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2