Description

18th century in origin with substantial mid 19th century addition to S; later alterations. Asymmetrical, 2-storey with attic, near L-plan gabled house with Tudor details with irregular, 5-bay entrance elevation; symmetrical, 4-bay garden elevation to S; enclosed service courtyard adjoined to E. Tooled sandstone rubble with tooled rubble dressings to earlier block; coursed and stugged cream sandstone with ashlar dressings (lightly droved in part) to 19th century addition. Base course; moulded string course dividing floors to S; moulded eaves. Rubble quoins and plain margins to earlier block; 19th century addition with rusticated quoins and tabbed surrounds to chamfered openings.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: steps to 2-storey, buttressed projection at centre with four-centred arched entrance at ground; 2-leaf modern glazed doors; 4-pane fanlight; single window aligned above. Taller gable end off-set to left behind with single windows at both floors to left of entrance. Lower, 2-storey (original) block to outer left with single windows in 3 bays at ground; tripartite window centred above. 3-bay range recessed to right of entrance with single windows at 1st floor flanking central gablehead.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: 4-bay, grouped 1-2-1. Single windows at both floors in bays flanking centre (steps to former door at ground to right). Gabled projections to outer left and right with 4-light canted windows at ground and 1st floors; narrow attic lights centred in ball-finialled gableheads. Service courtyard recessed to right comprising coped wall enclosing 3-bay (7-bay at rear) ancillary structure to left with single windows flanking 2-leaf, part-glazed doors; arched entrance to right; curved corner to outer right.

E (REAR/FORMER SIDE?) ELEVATION: 2-storey block to outer left with projecting 2-light window centred at ground; single windows in 2 bays above. 3-storey gable end recessed to right with single windows in 3 bays at ground; single windows at 1st floor flanking centre; single window at upper floor to left. 2-storey (original) block to right (obscured at ground by courtyard wall) with single storey, mono-pitched ancillary structure adjoined to left; single window aligned above; bipartite window at ground to right; Y-astragalled Venetian window above. Bipartite window in single storey block to right; further single storey ancillary structure set at angle to outer right with flat-roofed porch in re-entrant angle.

N (SIDE/FORMER REAR?) ELEVATION: near U-plan principal block with round-arched window centred at 1st floor; glazed cupola set behind. 2-storey gable end projecting to right with single window at ground off-set to left of centre; four-centred arched window in buttressed entrance recessed to outer right. 2-storey gable end projecting to left of centre with further single storey, gabled addition at ground; single window at 1st floor off-set to right; blank circular panels flanking centre in gablehead. Enclosed service courtyard adjoined to left with square-plan, pyramidal-capped sandstone gatepiers flanking entrance off-set to left of centre; modern timber gates; blank elevations to single storey ancillary structure to right and whitewashed, 3-bay, mono-pitched ancillary structure to outer left.

4-, 6-, 8- and 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; some modern windows in service courtyard. Grey slate roofs; gablet-coped sandstone skews; scroll-bracketed block skewputts (gabletted in part). Sandstone ridge and apex stacks with brick-built flues; various circular cans.

INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

GARDEN WALLS AND GATEPIERS: squared rubble coping to rubble sandstone walls partially enclosing site. Pyramidal-capped, square-plan, sandstone gatepiers to N; modern timber gates.

Statement of Interest

Noted in the NEW STATISTICAL ACCOUNT as a '...neat country residence'. A well-detailed house which appears to have evolved from the 18th century onwards. The name 'Spital' is said to have derived from the fact that the house was built on a site once occupied by a hospital of St John. See separate list entries for the nearby 'Bridge', 'Quadrant Walls, Piers, Gatepiers & Gate' and 'Walled Garden' - all of which are within the Spital House estate (1999). Rutherfurd's notes a Rev William Compton Lundie as owner and resident here in 1866.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17835524

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

• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)