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Summary

Description

Sir Robert Lorimer, dated 1899; some later additions. 2-storey and attic, roughly L-plan house with long main range to E and shorter wing to W containing principal rooms. Entrance forecourt (with later additions) to NW, jettied-out mansard-shaped dormers to E and W, round turrets with conical roofs to S and E, swept-roof verandah (now glazed in) to S, scullery wing to NE corner, bell-cast roof. Painted harled sandstone with sandstone ashlar window cills and other dressings.

W ELEVATION AND FORECOURT: advanced section to right forming forecourt to left. Half-glazed timber panelled door with leaded lights in sandstone ashlar roll-moulded architrave to right of recessed bay; flower motif in shield to centre of architrave; leaded light with ashlar mullion and surround to right of door. Door is recessed under porch, formed by later extension. Bay to left of door jettied out at first floor and rising to dormer in attic; tablet under 1st-floor window bearing coat of arms and inscribed MP 1899 and JE MEURS POUR CEUX QUE JAIM (see Notes). Double window at ground to left. Scullery outshot recessed to outer left. Advanced bay to right with jettied-out dormer at 1st floor; sandstone tablet below depicting long-necked bird feeding its young. Asymmetrical gable to N with rounded corner rising to cusp below eaves.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: conical turret to left with 3 windows at both floors; jettied out at 1st-floor. Swept-roof verandah (now glazed in) recessed to centre; flat-roofed dormer above. 2-storey and attic gable advanced to right with tripartite window at ground and single windows to other floors; left return jettied out at 1st floor with 4-light horizontal window below.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: tall staircase window to centre, flat-roofed dormer above. Bay to left jettied out at 1st-floor and rising to dormer. Semicircular turret to right with later(?) glazed door at ground. Lean-to scullery outshot to outer right with later flat-roofed bipartite dormer above.

Predominantly 12- and 9-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; some casements. Sandstone-coped and rendered ridge stacks with red clay cans. Red tile roof.

INTERIOR: decoratively carved sandstone chimney piece in hall with timber mantelshelf and built-in bevelled-glass mirror above. Timber panelled staircase with fret-work freize carved with vines under hand-rail; coved ceiling above stair with signs of the zodiac in plaster. Ingleneuk in former dining room with sandstone fireplace, cast-iron grate, bevelled-glass mirror and flanking timber shelves and cupboards; deep cornice with plasterwork vines; small stained-glass window to right, dated 1900. Small amount of decorative plasterwork to bay window in former drawing room; large chimneypiece with corbelled-out timber mantelshelf and delft tiles around grate. Original chimneypieces in many bedrooms. Cornices, some interior doors with original door furniture (see notes), many original cast-iron grates and sandstone fenders. Butlers pantry with dresser and porcelain sink.

GREENHOUSE: circa 1910 greenhouse; rendered brick, timber and glass. Asymmetrically pitched roof with central door breaking eaves. Glazed interior partitions. Lean-to boiler house behind with tiled roof.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: round-coped sandstone rubble boundary walls. Sandstone ashlar corniced gatepiers to carriage and pedestrian entrances with octagonal pyramidal caps. 1930s "sunburst" style cast-iron gates (see notes).

Statement of Special Interest

Built for Miss Paterson. This is one of the larger houses that Lorimer built in Colinton, and is unusual in having vertical rather than horizontal proportions, and it is not at all cottagey. Peter Savage wrongly states that the W wing was added in the 1920s. This is incorrect, as it is shown both on the 1899 drainage plan, and the 1908 OS map.

Despite the entrance addition in the forecourt, and the fact that the present use of the house as a language school has necessitated turning a number of the interior doors in to fire doors, the house remains remarkably intact. In particular the fireplaces seem to have survived very well, and most of them have their original grates. The staircase with its plasterwork, and wonderful carved decoration is particularly worthy of note.

The plans for the boundary wall also show designs for the original gates, which were timber boarded and had wrought-iron finials.

The inscription JE MEURS POUR CEUX QUE JAIM translates as I die for those I love.

References

Bibliography

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