Description

Built in 1895, with extensions of 1910. 2-storey, irregular-plan Old English house, now a hotel. Rendered and painted brick, with half-timbered upper floors, tile-hung gables and tall brick stacks.

Northeast (principal) elevation: 3-bay block to right, with advanced gable to outer right, first floor advanced on decorative timber brackets, comprising entrance porch centred at ground with pair of small-pane bipartite windows, vertically-boarded timber door to left return; pairs of segmental-arched windows to left and right at ground; tripartite leaded window centred at first floor; tripartite window with decorative upper panes in advanced gabletted dormerhead breaking eaves to left; tripartite window centred in gable to right, flanked by pairs of painted terracotta roundels depicting cherubim; gable projecting from gable to left, with pair of segmental-arched windows to centre and left at ground, pair of tripartite windows flanking centre at first floor; single bay gable adjoining to outer left, with glazed timber door to right, comprising 4-light canted window at ground; first floor advanced on decorative timber brackets above, with tripartite window centred at first floor; return to left with bipartite window to left of centre at ground, 4-light window centred at first floor; 3-stage battered Germanic tower to outer left in re-entrant angle, comprising glazed timber door to left of centre at southeast face, window between ground and first floor at northeast face, window to southeast face of first floor, windows at southeast, southwest and northwest faces of second floor. Flat-roofed addition adjoining to left (see below).

Southeast (entrance) elevation: 2-bay single storey and loft coach house to left; vehicular slapping to left at ground with 2-leaf, vertically-boarded sliding timber doors, vertically-boarded timber hay-loft door in red tile-hung gabletted dormerhead centred and breaking eaves above; advanced flat-roofed addition to right, with recessed modern glazed door to left; recessed timber door with glazed upper panels and 4-light window with multi-pane upper panels to right, adjoining tower in re-entrant angle to outer right (see above).

Southwest elevation: 5-bay block to left, partly-obscured by flat-roofed addition at ground, comprising advanced single bay cat-slide roofed projection to left, with 4-light window centred at ground, with 2-light window to left of centre at first floor; irregular fenestration to remaining bays at first floor, with window in third bay from right in dormerhead breaking eaves; L-plan flat-roofed addition comprising modern timber door at re-entrant angle and irregular modern glazing to northeast and southwest faces; blank gable to coach house, to outer right.

Northwest elevation: 2-bay gable; stepped central flue advanced from ground through gablehead; 5-light rectangular window advanced to outer right at ground, with lean-to tiled roof; window to left at ground; windows in bays at first floor.

Rosemary tiled roofs, with terracotta ridges; some exposed rafter ends; tower with pyramidal roof surmounted by metal weathervane and weathercock finial. Shallow rectangular cat-slide dormers. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Red brick decorative gablehead stacks and stacks breaking pitch; corniced, with circular cans.

Interior: not seen, 1999.

Statement of Interest

Navaar House Hotel with its charming gabled appearance is of interest for the survival of its Arts and Crafts detailing, and its unusual situation amongst the sober villas of suburban Penicuik.

It was commissioned by Professor J. Cossar Ewart (1851-1933), Regius Professor of Natural History at Edinburgh University, who lived at the house from its completion in 1895 until 1905. At this time the building was known as 'The Bungalow'. Whilst living at 'The Bungalow' Professor Ewart bred hybrid zebras in enclosures within the grounds as part of his 'Penycuik Experiments' into heriditary traits and hybridisation.

Updates to Description and Statement of Special Interest sections in 2017.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17828741

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)