Description

Mid to later 19th century, extended. Well-detailed 2-storey and attic, 3-bay, gabled and finialled estate house sited at main S entrance to Fasque House policies, with later (circa 1900) single storey piended estate office wing and single storey with attic pavilion-roofed wing, both to rear. Coursed and squared narrow red sandstone blocks with some snecking and contrasting stugged sandstone quoins and margins; snecked (with some Aberdeen bond), large squared rubble blocks of red sandstone and black freestone to sides and rear of original house. Base course and deeply overhanging eaves with decorative brackets. Voussoirs and hoodmoulds to roundheaded doorway and narrow lights at S; bracketted cills; stone and timber mullions.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: stepped principal elevation to S incorporating broad gable to left with canted window at ground, bipartite at 1st floor and narrow round headed attic light; narrow, gabled centre bay with 3-part vertically-panelled timber door and glazed semicircular fanlight below single window, narrow light on return to right at ground, and single window to each floor of set-back bay at right. W elevation to drive with gabled 2-storey bay set back at left and single storey office wing at right. Rear elevation with pavilion-roofed projection, partly clad with horizontally-boarded timber.

4-pane and plate glass glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows; coloured leaded glass to narrow light at ground S. Grey slates and metal rooflights. Coped ashlar stacks with full-complement of cans. Decorative cast iron finials.

INTERIOR: much fine interior detail retained including moulded plasterwork cornices, architraved timber doors, panelled timber reveals and shutters, brass sash lifts, cast iron radiators, vertically-panelled timber dadoes and many good timber fire surrounds with decorative cast iron grates. Encaustic-tiled porch floor leading to panelled screen door with coloured leaded glazing and fanlights, dado-panelled stair hall, timber dog-leg stair with plain balusters and decorative ironwork newel. Kitchen with bell box.

ANCILLARY BUILDING: early L-plan ancillary to SW with hayloft and Carmyllie slate roof of over red sandstone rubble.

GATES: decorative ironwork to 2-leaf vehicular gates at W.

Statement of Interest

Mains of Fasque House is a well designed villa, prominently sited at the main south entrance of the Fasque Estate. It is flanked by the Gate Lodge to the east and Fasque Parsonage to the west. For many years the estate office was run from the single storey wing which faces the drive, but the high quality of this building lends weight to the understanding that it may have been built as a dower house. The Old Mains Belt runs along the eastern policies boundary from Old Mains to the south entrance at Mains of Fasque.

Fasque House was built in 1809 for Sir Alexander Ramsay of Balmain to replace an 18th century building. It was purchased about 1828 by John Gladstone who was created a baronet in 1846. A wealthy Liverpool grain merchant and MP, Sir John was the father of William Ewart Gladstone, 1809-1898, Britain's longest-serving prime minister. By 1881 land from 'Fettercairn village to within less than ten miles of Banchory on Deeside' was Fasque property (Groome). Fasque House remained in the ownership of the Gladstone family until 2008, but the Fasque and Glen Dye Estate was retained by the family.

Also listed on the Fasque Estate are Fasque House, Stable Block, South Lodge and Gates, Apple House and Walled Garden, Octagon, Home Farm Bothy, Old Mains Cottages and Bogendollo.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77781446

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)