Description

2 later 19th century, 2-storey basement and attic sandstone villas linked internally. NO 5: circa 1874, with alterations William J Smith, 1945, 1955, latter on conversion to hall of residence. NO 7: circa 1874, with additions and alterations, James Cairns or A Wilson (see Notes), circa 1908-09 and also by William Smith, 1945, 1955.

NO 5: 3-bay villa on falling ground. Squared and snecekd sandstone with ashlar dressings; string course dividing ground and 1st floors. PRINCIPAL ELEVATION to NE, with round-arched hoodmoulded doorway to centre, approached by stone balustraded, ball finialled steps; glazed side lights continuous with fanlight. Single window above. Full-height bowed stone window to left with 5-light windows to principal floors and rising into conical roof against gabled wallhead, pedimented window breaking eaves; decorative weathervane. Bay to right with tripartite windows to principal floors and dormer above with catslide roof. REAR ELEVATION to SW, 3-bay with irregular fenestration, gabled dormers. NW gabled elevation with flat-roofed link to basement and ground and with mullioned and transomed stair window to centre, further window to left; mock timber framing in gablehead.

Plate glass glazing in timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof. Ashlar stone gablehead stacks. Profiled guttering.

INTERIOR: fine array of classical plasterwork cornices, and decorative doorpieces (architraves, carved panels and cornices), stylised timber stair balustrade with urn finials to newel posts. Rooms with later wainscot panelling and carved classical and Jacobean chimneypieces.

NO 7: 7-bay villa (comprised of 4-bay core extended, circa 1908 by extension of 3 closely grouped bays) with clasping conservatory. Squared and coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings, cill band course at ground, architraved windows; eaves course and cornice. PRINCIPAL ELEVATION to NE with outer bays to right recessed, doorway set in re-entrant angle on return of advanced bays under square sectioned corniced stone porch, semicircular window to basement under steps; stone steps approaching door flanked by ashlar dies, 1 bearing cast-iron lamp; single windows flanking door to outer right and window altered as door to fire-escape, timber dormer above. Bay to left of entrance porch with single windows to each floor. Bay to outer left of original house breaking eaves in pavilion roof giving tower -effect, with slightly projecting tripartite windows to each floor, diminishing at 1st floor with block pediment; stone wallhead dormer above with semicircular pediment. Addition (circa 1908) to outer left with regular fenestration, deeply projecting eaves and stone Glasgow Style dormer to mansard attic. REAR ELEVATION to SW with L-plan circa 1910 conservatory clasping outer corner to left; round-arched stair window; 5-light projecting window in bay to right, with 2 slightly recessed bays of later extension to outer right, stone corbelled and canted oriel at 1st floor to right, flat-roofed dormer window. NW ELEVATION 2-bay with short return of conservatory to right; full-height canted bay in slightly advanced bay to left. CONSERVATORY timber, with polygonal end to advanced section and curved corner to clasping corner, stone base, hopper ventilation at shelf height.

4-light timber sash and case windows to original house, small-pane upper and plate glass lower sashes to extension. Corniced ashlar wallhead stacks to original house with complement of cans, bull-faced stone stacks to extension.

INTERIOR: decorative classical plasterwork cornices and panel frames. Classical marble chimneypieces. Architraved with cornice over frieze, some friezes panelled. Unusual cast-iron balusters to stair with fluted timber newel posts with capitals and urn finials. Round and segmental archways. Backstair with timber balustrade bearing simple Glasgow Style fretting.

LINK: 2-storey, flat-roofed, joining 2 villas at basement and ground levels, apparently re-working of earlier mews, William J Smith, 1955, with large picture window to principal elevation at ground floor (dining block).

Statement of Interest

Latterly serving as a Hall of Residence for Glasgow University, these two adjoined villas contain a notable survival of good interior decoration. No 5 was originally named Barnasheen, the home of John Findlay, of G & J Findlay wrights and contractors of 24 Grand Street, Glasgow; it was subsequently re-named Edgehill by its next owner, John Spencer, merchant of 125 West Regent Street, but assumed the name Horselethill House when linked to its neighbour. No 7 was first known as Fernlea and built for R Feldtmann of Feldtmann & Co iron merchants and commissioning agents, 116 St Vincent Street, but changed its name to Horselethill House in about 1909, with a new owner, James A Main of A & J Main iron founders.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q77777547 Q77777550

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: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)