Description
1762. 3-storey, 7-bay, classical mansion with tall piano nobile on low square-windowed raised basement, dominant centre bay with urn-finialled pediment and heraldic design in tympanum. Rear office court with E wing converted to accommodation, France Smoor, late 20th century. Late 19th century N wing with crenellated parapet. Polished ashlar with rusticated quoins above basement. Deep droved base course and eaves cornice. Keystoned, Venetian doorcase with pilastered and corniced outer lights; architraved windows above basement, those to ground floor centre S and W pedimented.
S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: centre 3 bays advanced with Venetian doorpiece, panelled timber door, decoratively-astragalled fanlight and flanking windows to basement; 3 tall windows to piano nobile, centre window with semicircular pediment and flanking windows with triangular pediments; 3 windows to 1st floor giving way to pediment. Regular fenestration to recessed outer bays.
W ELEVATION: 3 bay elevation as 3 centre bays above but with window instead of door to centre at basement, without pediment and with 2 slate-hung dormer windows. Screen wall of rear court adjoining to outer left.
E ELEVATION: regularly fenestrated 5-bay elevation. Lower (2-storey) set-back 19th century wing to outer right, with 2 windows to each floor and crenellated wallhead. Single storey offices adjoining to outer right.
N ELEVATION: full-height advanced pedimented bay to centre with basement largely obscured by ancillaries and timber staircase, 2 windows to each floor above; bay to right similar, but ground floor window blocked; bay to left with advanced 19th century wing.
6- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Coped ashlar stacks and ashlar-coped skews. Piend-and-platform roof.
INTERIOR: decorative and plain plasterwork cornices; panelled timber shutters; dado rails; chimneypieces mostly 1820s replacements. Entrance hall with keystoned segmental-arched opening and fluted pilasters giving way to big square stone stair with serpentine balusters, rising to full-height of house. Piano nobile rooms with coved angles, that to SW enriched with plasterwork rococo garlands; dining room to SE with black marble fireplace and timber dado. Library to centre of 1st floor with deep-coved ceiling, carved timber and gesso fire surround with marble lintel and slips, and iron grate; timber, mesh-fronted bookcases to E. Timber-balustered oval service stair. Box beds to attic room.
OFFICE COURT: single and 2-storey, rubble office court with pedimented, bell-towered archway to centre of W screen wall, further flanking pedestrian entrances, that to right segmental-headed, that to left with swagged lintel carving taken from Melville House, Fife. N range (now 2-storey) housed bake-house, coach-house and stabling converted to accommodation. E range, late 20th century conversion.
SUNDIAL: sundial situated immediately E of house. Probably 18th century, with stepped octagonal base, square plinth, raked shaft and square top.
WALLED GARDEN: Rectangular-plan walled garden to SW of Durie House. Flat-coped, brick-lined rubble walls, breached to E.