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Summary

Description

Tower Cottage is a detached, single-storey with attic, four-bay, former stables and groom's accommodation dating from around 1820, with 20^th and 21^st century alterations. It is built in the cottage orné style and has a three-storey tower with a crenellated parapet to the southeast. The walls are harled and painted with contrasting surrounds. Tower Cottage was converted to a house sometime after 2002. It is located in the village of Hillside near Montrose and is historically associated with Gordon House (formerly known as The Cottage), which is located to the east and listed separately at category B (LB17748). The buildings are separated by a detached garage that dates from 2002.

The front (north) elevation has multiple openings, including three door openings, and a tripartite window at first floor level. The rear (south) elevation has a later balcony at first floor level and a mono-pitched sunroom addition below with late-20^th century double-doors leading to a seating area. The single-storey range adjoining the east elevation dates from around 2002.

The roof is half-piended and slated with some overhanging eaves and exposed rafter tails. The openings are largely gothick-style pointed-arches. The windows have predominantly lattice glazing in timber sash and case frames, with some lying-pane fixed lights to the north elevation. The doors are timber replacements.

Statement of Special Interest

Tower Cottage is a distinctive, detached former stables and Groom's accommodation designed in a cottage orné style which directly reflects the design and architectural features of the associated Gordon House to the immediate east. The cottage orné style was popular for small-scale domestic or estate architecture in Scotland for a short period in the early-19^th century and is now relatively rare. The style stems from the 18^th century English Romantic period and interest in the Picturesque. It is characterised by decoratively carved bargeboarding and highly decorative gothic-inspired ornamentation (known as 'Gothick').

Tower Cottage was converted to a dwelling house sometime after 2002 having been previously used as a stable and garage for Gordon House. The 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1861-63 shows the former stables as roughly L-plan with a rectangular plan extension attached to the east elevation. The 2^nd and later Edition Ordnance Survey maps show there has been some reconfiguration of the east elevation in the 20^th century, but overall, the core footprint has been largely retained.

Photographs taken in 2002 show an extension on the east elevation of the building with a mono-pitched roof and an up-and-over garage door. This was removed after 2002 and a replacement extension added which encloses the base of the tower. The conversion work is in keeping with the early-19^th century, cottage orné character and style of the house and former stable.

The architect of Gordon House and Tower Cottage is unknown. The previous listed building record for Gordon House noted it may have been built as the dower house associated with Hedderwick, a small mansion and estate located nearby, which belonged to Lord Benholme. The previous listed building record for Tower Cottage refers to the building as a former coachhouse, stables and Groom's House, but the openings that remain are too narrow for coaches or motorcars suggesting the coachhouse section of the building may have been reconfigured and was possibly on the east elevation.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1857-61 describes Hillside as a village containing detached cottages with gardens and plots of ornamental ground attached (OS1/14/72/17). Gordon House (LB11748) remains a prominent building within the landscape and its associated Tower Cottage has similar cottage orné features showing the functional relationship between the buildings. The use of this style is distinctive within the village and its survival as a group with Gordon House is of special interest.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2021. Previously listed as 'The Cottage, Hillside Coachhouse Stable and Groom's House'.

References

Bibliography

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