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Summary

Description

George Walton, 1900 with later alterations. Predominantly 2-storey, 10-bay, asymmetrical Glasgow school mansion house with details of exceptional quality to the interior. Red brick with red sandstone margins. Continuous, cill height, stringcourse to both storeys. Projecting stone cills to windows.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 3-storey, 3-bay block to outer left with pyramidal roof, regular fenestration. Brick mullioned bipartite windows in bay to right, semicircular-arched inscribed pediments with carved sunflower motif over 1st floor windows. Single storey, 3-bay projection to right with 5-light bow to centre flanked by narrow 5-light windows; coped parapet above. Advanced canted bay to central bay to 1st floor above inscribed pediments over. Tripartite window to centre with brick mullions and inscribed pediments above. Single narrow bay to right. 2-storey, advanced canted bay to outer right bay.

SE (REAR) ELEVATION: series of irregular, 2-storey advanced blocks. T-plan, gabled block to outer left, coped shouldered gable to right return, piended to right, shoulereded wallhead stack to front, row of 4 barrow clsoely-set, brick mullioned windows to ground, 2 to 1st floor, single storey entrance open porch to right with semicircular-arched entrance, timber panelled door to rear with leaded glass and fanlight. Coped brick wall with square-plan gatepiers with ball-finials supporting timber gates, linked between flanking advanced bays to form a small service yard. 2-storey, 3-bay advanced block to centre with pyramidal roof, regular fenestration. 3-storey, 3-bay block to right with pyramidal roof. Timber panelled door to centre left with semicircular-arched fanlight with window to left, irregular fenestration to upper stories. Later 2-storey gabled addition at ground.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 6-bay. Advanced 2-bay blocks with swept roofs flanking central bays linked by single storey, flat-roofed block. Crowstepped gable parapet to outer left of single storey advanced block, balustraded to centre, canted advanced bay to outer right with embattled parapet. Steps to recessed entrance, centre left, tall bipartite window to right, short tripartite window to right.

NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: plain, 3-storey, narrow stair tower to left. 2-storey, timber framed, roofed balcony to right set upon massive brick corbels, entrance to 1st floor.

Predominantly timber-framed windows with some square-pane, leaded windows. Grey slates with red ridge tiles. Tall sandstone coped, brick stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods with moulded guttering.

INTERIOR: Outstanding scheme in place- timber paneling and deeply concave cornices throughout principal apartments with numerous items of simple built-in furniture and unusual fittings such as finger plates and window latches. Entrance hall with tessellated floor and fitted benches; central staircase to SE corner of hall with tapered octagonal newels and tall, chamfered balusters; inset built-in cupboards; herringbone brick fireplace flanked by tapered pilasters. Simple panelled chimney piece in Drawing Room. Fitted cupboards and shelves and benches, with inset glass panels and slender octagonal columns rising to ceiling from outer corners, to Billiard Room. Partially glazed screens to chimney piece in sitting room and doorway to dining room also with built-in sideboard. Simpler fittings to upper storey, fitted cupboards to most rooms.

SUMMER HOUSE: small single storey, square-plan shelter within walled garden, with ogee roof, open to NW. Red brick with painted timber detailing. Timber segmentally-arched opening with bracketed timber canopy. Oculi windows to sides. Grey slates with lead cap and cast-iron finial. Fitted to timber bench to rear wall of interior.

WALLED GARDEN: high random rubble wall, rectangular-plan, with chamfered coping to rear of house. Tall, square-plan ashlar entrance piers, to NE and NW, with ogee caps and cast-iron finials.

TERRACED GARDEN WALL: 2-tier, terraced garden to front of house. Random rubble coped terrace wall running length of house terminating in short flight of steps to both ends. Similar wall to lower terrace except with ball finials to corners of steps and piers with pyramidal caps to outer corners of wall.

GATE LODGE: single storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan, asymmetrical lodge with bell cast roof. Red brick with sandstone projecting cills and timber detailing. Projecting porch to centre with swept roof on scrolled timber brackets; 8-pane, timber panelled door to centre with flanking 6-pane, square windows. Multi-pane bipartite window to left bay with timber mullion. Bowed 5-light, multi-pane window in bay to right with timber mullions. 3 windows to right return, single oculi to left return. Later addition to rear. Tall, coped ridge stacks. Grey slates, lead flashing and red ridge tiles.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: coped, small stone random rubble wall with large inset stones and stylised raised mortar. Square-plan ashlar gatepiers with decorative bronze sconces for former lights. Linked to low, coped quadrant walls framing driveway terminating in squat piers with pyramidal caps.

Statement of Special Interest

Originally built for the businessman Mr J B Stewart of the firm Stewart and Lloyds and latterly by the Pullar family of Perth. More recently the house and grounds have been used as the Royal Masonic Nursing Home, though at the time of the resurvey (November 2001) the house was unoccupied, the nursing home having moved to a modern building within the grounds. The architecture of Ault Wharrie is not exceptional, more important is the wide range and diversity of interior fittings by Walton, who remains better known for his furniture and interior design work than architecture. "the hall?at Ault Wharrie, Dunblane, where almost every surface is either articulated or patterned. It is an imposing room, the glass and stencilwork delightful?The Dunblane hall contains the last echoes of Walton's collaborative work with Rowntree and of the heavier style of Penty's hall. Its parts suffest a date of 1'896-8, but, passing to the dining room, the commission's later date is confirmed.Startlingly simple, it has the same flat-tiled fireplace as the The Leys and an almost completely plain frieze. It is the first of his living rooms which (excepting the carpet) is entirely without pattern. It can only be understood in the light of Walton's experiments at Elstree. They gave him a new vision for his interior work elsewhere". (Moon).

References

Bibliography

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