Description

An early 19th century, 2-storey, 3-bay classical house, built in coursed pink and grey granite. The street (north) elevation is almost symmetrical and has a left, off-centre 4-panel timber door with narrow timber pilasters and a narrow 2-light fan light above. There is a narrow window to the right of the entrance door. The first floor windows are just below the eaves. To the left of this elevation is a harled outbuilding with a timber gate to the far left. To the right is a harled single storey 2-bay extension with granite margins.

The garden (south) elevation is symmetrical and has a central flat roofed entrance porch supported on rustic tree trunk columns. There is a timber 4-panel door set within a timber doorpiece with narrow part glazed sidelights.

The windows are predominantly a 12-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case frames. There is a piended and platformed roof which has graded grey slates, with wallhead chimney stacks to the east and west and hexagonal chimney cans.

The interior was seen in 2016. Much of the ground floor fixtures and fittings have been removed following flood damage in 2015. The first floor has been refurbished.

Statement of Interest

Inchley is a well-proportioned early 19th century house built with local granite and is one of the earliest buildings in the planned town of Ballater. The exterior of the building is little altered since the late 19th century and is distinguished by its uninterrupted piended roof and timber porch. Inchley originally had a large rear garden which extended down to the River Dee and consequently the garden elevation of the house is as well detailed as the principal elevation.

Age and Rarity

Inchley dates to the early part of the 19th century and is first depicted in outline on an 1808 map of Ballater. On this map, the house is shown situated immediately adjacent to Deebank road to the north and in plot of land extending down to the River Dee to the south of the property. The feus to the south on this map have the name Farquharson written on them. Local knowledge suggests that the house may have been built as a cottage for the local Invercauld Estate, which was owned by the Farquharson family, but this has not been confirmed.

By the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map, published in 1869, Inchley is shown with a garden area to the south and a central path leading from the house down to the River Dee. A photo dating from 1856 in Fraser's book 'The Old Deeside Road' (published in 1921) shows Inchley with this garden, and two single storey wings to the east and west of the house. The wings are marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map as uninhabited and were likely to have been stores. The west wing is now part of the interior of the house and the east wing is a garage. The house has retained this mid 19th century footprint. Inchley was damaged by flooding in 2015 much of the ground floor fixtures and fittings have been removed. Houses have been built on some of the former garden area and there is no longer a direct path from the house to the river (2016).

Ballater was a planned town, founded in the late 18th century by the local laird, Francis Farquharson of Monaltrie, to provide accommodation for the increasing number of tourists to the nearby Pannanich Wells. The town was designed on a grid pattern, with small 2 acre plots feued by the Farquharsons. It is described in the new Statistical Account of 1834-45 as being 'much frequented by strangers in the summer on account of the salubrity of the air and the beauty of its scenery. Its street or lanes cross the main street at right angles. Its houses are built on a regular plan.' This older section of the town, where Inchley is situated, was built near to Ballater Royal Bridge (listed at category B, LB21851) and the town in this area retains its grid pattern. Following Queen Victoria's purchase of the nearby Balmoral Castle in 1852 (listed at category A, LB51460) and the arrival of the railway in 1866, Ballater became an important tourist destination. The town expanded particularly to the west with the population rising from 362 in 1861 to 1,256 in 1901.

The core of the planned town dates to the early part of the 19th century and there are a number of key early 19th century houses which remain, including Ford House (listed at category C, LB21842), which was originally the local school and 11 Bridge Square (listed at category C, LB21839). Dating from the early part of the 19th century, Inchley is one of these key early buildings.

Inchley is not a rare building type, as many houses from the early 19th century and earlier survive in Scotland. It is, however, one of the earliest houses in the planned town of Ballater and the house has retained much of its early 19th century exterior design.

Architectural or Historic Interest

Interior

The ground floor interior was damaged by flooding in 2015 and much of the fixtures and fittings have been removed including the lath and plaster walls being stripped back to the stone. There are two surviving fire surrounds. That to the west wall appears to date from the 20th century and that to the east wall is of a standard type.

Plan form

The symmetrical rectangular plan form of the house with wings to the east and west, and an interior arranged around a central staircase is not unusual for a domestic property of this date.

Technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality

The house is built of pink and grey granite, which is the predominant building material in the northeast of Scotland. As granite is such a hard material decorative stonework is not to be expected on a house of this date.

The main elevations of the house are little altered and retains the standard design features of an early 19th century domestic property. They are well proportioned, symmetrical elevations with upper storey windows lying close to the roofline. The majority of the neighbouring properties are gabled so Inchley's piended and platformed roof is distinctive in the area and has not been altered by the addition of dormers.

The rustic tree trunk porch is an unusual feature of the house and adds to its interest. It is likely that the porch was added later in the 19th century and it is apparent on the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey Map, published in 1901. It provides a formal entrance to the garden elevation of the property which had a clear view to the river and was probably designed to be seen. Rustic tree trunk columns are an architectural feature of some rural buildings in northeast Scotland, particularly of larger estates and can be found at estate cottages and ancillary buildings on the Invercauld, Balmoral and Forglen estates in Aberdeenshire.

Setting

The building is situated on a narrow road within the Ballater Conservation Area. Like the other properties in the surrounding area, which are mainly 19th and 20th century housing, Inchley sits directly onto the pavement. The other properties on Deebank Road are either flats, or single storey and attic houses and Inchley is a distinctive building in the streetscape because of its 2 storeys and piended roof.

The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1869 shows the house with a large rear garden and direct access and vista to the River Dee. This garden now has other residential properties on it and the former vista and access from the house to the river has been compromised. This loss of the original relationship between the house and the river has affected the setting of the house.

Regional variations

There are no known regional variations.

Close Historical Associations

There are no known associations with a person or event of national importance at present (2016).

Category of listing changed from B to C, statutory address and listed building record revised in 2016. Previously listed as 'Deebank Road, Inchley'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17773968

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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