Description

Circa 1840 core with substantial 1885-1889 additions and alterations and 1900 billiard room extension. 2-storey, attic and basement, 3-bay multi-gabled house with single storey billiard room addition to west. The building is set in large garden grounds and has a good interior decorative scheme. Coursed rubble with tooled granite dressings. Bargeboards to gables of principal elevation with intricately carved grapevine motif. Reed moulded bargeboards to gables of side and rear elevation. Steps leading to main entrance with sidelights and fanlight all set under gabled timber porch supporting on octagonal columns with grapevine motif to capitals, and wrought iron finial with leaf motif. Advanced gable to left with large round arched multi-pane window at ground floor, corbelled oriel window and cill course at 1st floor. Central gabled dormer. Ball finials to gables (some to principal elevation now missing). 1900 billiard room addition to west elevation with 5-light mullioned and transomed bay window and door at centre under bracketed gable. Pair of gables breaking wallhead to west elevation of billiard room and canted rear (north) wall. East elevation with a full-height canted and corniced bay to left. Row of single storey outbuildings to rear.

Predominantly 15-pane over single pane in timber sash and case windows. Predominantly 12-pane glazing to rear. Grey slate roof. Wide end stacks with clay cans.

The interior was seen in 2014 and has high quality plasterwork and intricately carved timber fixtures and fittings to the principal rooms dating to the 1880s. The entrance hall has fluted pilasters detailing to picture rail, panelled ceiling and some timber panelling; timber mantelpiece with carved overmantel incorporating cupboards; dog leg staircase with elaborately turned timber balusters, moulded handrail and carved newel post; leaded and stained glass window at first landing. The drawing room has a mantelpiece with fluted pilasters and bracketed mantelshelf, panelled walls, decorative cornice and plaster ceiling with elaborate geometric pattern. The billiard room has timber panelling to dado, timber fireplace set in full width inglenook to rear, and deep moulded cornice and coombed ceiling. 1st floor bedroom with decorative mantelpiece incorporating glazed tile inset and egg, dart and foliage cornice. Plain cornice and timber fireplaces to attic rooms. Basement with brick wine cellar and perforated grills to doors of storerooms.

Statement of Interest

Binghill House is a good surviving example of a late Victorian interior scheme, including high quality plasterwork and intricately carved timber fixtures and fittings. Unusually for the scale of the property the plan form has not been greatly altered since its remodelling in the late 19th century and the addition of the billiard room in 1900. The exterior of the property has a number of distinguishing architectural details, which are likely to date to the late 19th century remodelling, including elaborate timber bargeboards, a corbelled oriel window and a gabled porch. This high-quality detailing, the scale of the property and its secluded setting is indicative of a house of some status in the area, with the house overlooking the village of Milltimber.

The original core of Binghill House dates to around 1840. The New Statistical Account compiled in 1840 states that the proprietor (Colonel Alexander Kyle) built a neat and substantial country seat. Colonel Alexander Kyle bought the estate in 1808 and it remained in the family's possession until its sale in 1885 to Martin Lindsay Hadden. Hadden enlarged and altered the house and by the the OS map of 1899 the house is shown with the porch and canted bay additions to the front (south) elevation and the east elevation and a rectangular addition to the south west corner. The billiard room is not shown on this map and was added in 1900.

Binghill House overlooks the village of Milltimber. In the late 19th century Milltimber was a small cluster of houses set in gardens near to Milltimber station. This small settlement grew dramatically in the 20th century as the land between the station and Binghill House was redeveloped into housing. The association with Binghill estate is recognised in some of the roadnames, such as Binghill Drive and Binghill Crescent. Binghill is believed to mean Beaconhill.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77782535

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.

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