Description

D and J R McMillan, 1901. 2-storey, basement and attic; 15-bay terrace comprising 3 pairs of 2-bay houses (Nos 4-14) and a single 3-bay house (No 2) to E. Tooled coursed grey granite with finely finished dressings. Rough-faced base course; moulded cill course; overhanging eaves; gableted dormers.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; depressed-arched doorways with keystone detail to 2 centre bays of each pair of houses except No 2, panelled timber door with 9-pane decoratively leaded glazed upper panel, flanked by 3-pane glazed panel, small-pane fanlight. Gabled, rectangular-plan tripartite window through ground and 1st floors of bay to right of doorway at No 4 and 12. Canted 3-light window with decorative parapet through ground and 1st floors of bay to left of doorway at No 6 and 10, polygonal roof with elongated finial to No 10. 5-light canted window through ground and 1st floors of 3rd bay from right at No 2, and bay to outer left at No 14. Single window to ground and 1st floor of penultimate bay to right, flanked to outer right by 3-light canted-window with spire and elongated finial on angle. Variety of gabled and gableted dormers to attic floor.

SE ELEVATION: asymmetrical; round-arched window to right of ground floor, flanked to left by flat-roofed porch with 4-light window, segmental-arched doorway to No 2 at left return, panelled with 9-pane decoratively leaded glazed upper panel, flanked to left and right by glazed panels, letter-box fanlight. 3 irregularly placed windows to 1st floor; gableted dormer to attic floor.

NE ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; basement floor not seen (1999); paired canted oriel windows to ground floor, flanked to left and right by single window; regularly placed single and bipartite windows to 1st floor; irregular fenestration to 3 bays to left (No 2), including large stair window with decorative upper panels, flanked to left by stained glass window; irregularly placed dormers and skylights to attic floor.

NW ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; window to ground floor, flanked to right window, stained glass stair window above.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows, plate glass lower pane, 6 and 8-pane upper pane; replacement PVCu windows to No 6. Piended grey slate roof with decorative terracotta ridge. Granite wallhead stacks and stacks breaking pitch, with circular cans. Stone dividing skews with scrolled skewputts. Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers.

INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: low tooled granite boundary walls with chamfered coping, rectangular-plan dividing piers and gatepiers to SW; rubble wall with rubble coping to SE.

Statement of Interest

Duncan McMillan (1840-1928) and J Ross McMillan (1867-1959) were father and son, respectively. J Ross McMillan taking over his fathers practice when he died. Duncan McMillan is perhaps best known for his work on Archibald Simpson's Marine Terrace (see separate listing), while his son's finest design was his own house at 2 Devanha Gardens (see separate listing). There is no doubt that the combined skills of father and son were highly successful at 2-14 Fonthill Terrace. The varied, but balanced facade hangs together extremely well, complemented by the extremely fine doors and doorways, all of which survive, and the fine detailing. Even the rear elevation, with its canted oriels shows clever design, maximising light in the darker N facing rooms. The basements were designed to contain the coal store, laundry and wash house.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17770050

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings