Description

Thomas Martin Cappon, dated 1894. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay, villa with single storey and attic 3-bay service wing to left sited along Kennedy Gardens, now sub-divided into 2 properties (2007). Distinctive ogee-roofed dormer, well detailed entrance porch and unusual glazing pattern to ground and 1st floor upper sashes. Squared and snecked sandstone with ashlar margins. Overhanging bracketted eaves. Piended and platformed roof.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: N (street) elevation. Symmetrical 3-bay main section with pair of 3-light box bay windows to ground under near full-width overhanging slated canopy. Window to 1st floor centre bay flanked by blank stone pedimented panels. Large 3-light ogee-roofed dormer at attic with ornamental weathervane flanked by pair of smaller piend-roofed bipartite dormers. To left single storey and attic, 3-bay, pitched roof recessed service wing with slightly advanced piended-roof bay with bipartite stair window and timber gabled eaves breaking dormer to left dated 1894.

W (entrance) elevation: 3-bay with well-detailed timber and glass slate roofed porch with deeply moulded cornice and carved timber uprights. Distinctive glazing to upper parts. Entrance at left return angle.

Non-traditional conservatory to S elevation service wing.

Timber sash and case windows with upper sash with central diamond and 4-pane surround pattern. Plate glass lower sashes. Graded grey slates. Wallhead stacks with cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: good decorative scheme in place with quality stained glass and joinery work. Timber multi-pane glazed screen with stained glass separating vestibule from hall with mosaic flooring to vestibule and porch. Elaborate moulded cornicing. Number of timber chimneypieces with tiled inserts. Hall contains a number of decorated segmental consoled and corniced arches and fine architraved 5-panel doors. Dogleg staircase with fine carving to timber balusters and 4-pane foliate stained glass stair window.

BOUNDARY WALLS: low coped sandstone section of wall to N.

Statement of Interest

A good example of the work of Thomas Martin Cappon (1863-1939). Liscombe is a finely detailed late Victorian villa with a largely unaltered interior scheme. Together with Holly Lodge, the attached former service wing, Liscombe forms a distinctive landmark along Kennedy Gardens. It has a particularly distinctive oversized ogee-roofed dormer and a striking glazing pattern. The glazing pattern is repeated in the entrance porch as well as in the internal entrance screen giving a unity to the design. The carefully detailed timber porch along with the quality interior denotes Liscombe as a fine example within its building type.

Thomas Cappon was born, trained and practised in Dundee. In St Andrews the only other building currently (2007) attributed to Cappon is The Castle House on The Scores. Cappon designed many villas and small country houses such as Kingennie House, Angus c1900, (see J. Nicoll Domestic Architecture in Scotland, 1908, pl 14), as well as carrying out alterations to existing buildings such as the 17th century Pitlair House in Fife in 1907 (Nicoll, pl 15).

From the plans dated 1893 in the Dean of Guild Archive (St Andrews University library) it is known that Liscombe was built for a Mr R Scroggie Esq. The plans indicate that the attic space was to be used mainly as a billiard room, a common addition to villas of this period. It is also interesting to note that the glazing pattern on the plans is a simple design.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77780291

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)