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Summary

Description

James Smith of Aberdeen, circa 1840. 3-storey, Tudor mansion on site of, and possibly incorporating earlier house. Picturesque, asymmetrical massing, with corner and square, off-centre towers,

around central courtyard. Rubble whinstone, harled, with cream

ashlar dressings, Turriff sandstone dressings to rear. Moulded string course between 1st and 2nd floor of SE and NE fronts. Taller 1st floor windows to principlal rooms. Ashlar mullions and transoms. Canted bays with cornice and parapet with ball finials. 2nd floor windows breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads. All windows with stone mullions and transoms.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: near symmetrical; E-plan frontage about central canted bay, extended to S by additional bay and 4-storey octagonal tower. Jacobethan gables to outer advanced bays, central canted bay with shaped gable and corbelled obelisk capped finials. Entrance to left of centre, in projecting Tudor porch; round-arched doorway with stepped hoodmould containing date plaque, flanked by polygonal, clasping towers capped with ogee finials, crenellated blocking course with central armorial.

STAIR TOWER: rising behind main block, containing lighting stair; square-plan with 3-light, round-headed, hoodmoulded windows, balustraded parapet with corner ball finials.

SW ELEVATION: 5-bay, probably incorporating earlier house, terminating in advanced gabled bay adjoining octagonal tower to S, pyramidal roofed square tower to W. Off-centre, 2-storey canted bay.

NE ELEVATION: 7-bay, terminating in 3-storey, square tower with polygonal roof and finial. 2-bays to centre with advanced and gabled bay to left, canted to 3 floors; 2-storey canted bay to right.

NW ELEVATION: irregular, probably incorporating earlier house with round stair tower at centre. Advanced gable end to outer right, with flat-roofed, columned porch in re-entrant angle. Reset armorial panel set into tower to left. Single storey service ranges adjoining at right angles, and built into bank opposite; paved service court.

Casement windows with 4-pane glazing. Grey slates, ashlar coped skews with bracket skewputts. Coped ashlar stacks with grouped corniced flues.

INTERIOR: as yet unvisited. Owners abroad. To be visited in May.

Statement of Special Interest

An earlier house existed on the site, and may be incorporated; the OSA describes the location of the house, on the banks of the River Deveron, corresponding to the site of the present building. The armorials, (see OSA) dated 1440 have been reset.

References

Bibliography

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