Description
William Burn 1821, constructed 1824-8. Large Ionic Greek Revival mansion house, 2-storey, concealed attic and basement, with single-storey and basement kitchen and private apartments around sunken rear service court. Main facades: polished ashlar, ground floor windows architraved and corniced, 1st floor windows without architraves. Basement and attic blind, latter behind full entablature, cornice and parapet.
E Elevation: 7-bay dominated by centre hexastyle fluted Ionic columned and pedimented portico. Coffered ceiling to portico on twin inner columns.
S elevation: 11-bay, end bays set back with vestigal antae pilaster angles. Centre 3 bays within pilastered Thrasyllus portico approached by steps. Block pediment.
W elevation: 5-bay, centre projecting garden entrance with tripartite segmental-arched doorway within twin pilastered angles. Block pediment. Single-storey and basement private family wing to N, 5-bays, the end 2 projecting for the family bedroom. Cornice and blocking course. Piended roofs and 2 corniced stacks of exceptional height.
N elevation: coursed squared rubble. 4 bays to family wing, piend-roofed lean-to to front. Lower 4-bays projecting centre with dormer-head windows breaking eaves at 1st. Off-centre segmental-arched cart entrance. Kitchen court encircled by lean-to slate roof on cast-iron columns with bell capitals. Rear of main house 5-bay, 2 windows tripartite.
Kitchen at NE angle: cruciform single-storey and basement with single architraved window and antae pilasters to E elevation. Entablature, cornice and blocking course. Modern door in N elevation. Tall wallhead stack demolished.
Piended slate roofs. Timber framed cupola over hall, rectangular latern over stair. Ashlar stacks. Windows sash and case, 12-pane glazing pattern.
INTERIOR: sophisticated plan separating private from public apartments. Central full-height saloon with 4 scagliola-clad columns, Ionic at ground, Corinthian at 1st and cast-iron interlaced balcony railings. Pendentive dome with stained glass. Brass balusters to main stair focuses on copy of J S Copley's painting of Admiral Duncan receiving the surrender of the Dutch at the Battle of Camperdown.
Marble chimney pieces (highly ornate entwined foliage and cherbus in drawing room) cast-ron grates (with copper inlay in the library) some with folding doors, plaster cornices. Original timber doorpieces etc. Coffered ceilings to principal rooms. Timber and copper-grid book cases to library. Circular breakfast room now contains golf club bar. Simple attic rooms. Windowless servants accommodation in basement off primitivist Tuscan-columned hall.
Rubble-built boundary walls with stone copes to the estate.