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Summary

Description

Earlier 19^th century, two-storey, three-bay T-plan house with symmetrical, single storey, piended wings to each side. Later alterations in the 1880s included the canted four-light ground floor windows and paired additions extending to the rear at either side of the house. The house is closely enclosed by trees and is located at the centre of a former country estate which is now in use as a residential caravan park.

The principal (southeast) elevation has a central stone entrance canopy with a decorative frieze on paired Doric fluted columns which is flanked by two stone mullioned bay windows. The house is built in coursed rubble with ashlar margins and an eaves band course linking the lintels of the first floor windows. The windows have ashlar quoins and cills and there are blind first floor windows to the side elevations. There are two small dormer windows in the roof.

The windows are a mixture of plate glazing, 12-pane timber sash and case, and a non-traditional, multi-pane style to the doors in the side wings. The roofs are slate and have wide shouldered ashlar wallhead stacks with decorative clay cans.

The interior of the house was not seen (2021). Photographs provided by the owner in 2020 show the interior decorative scheme retains a substantial amount of mid and later 19^th century design details. The plasterwork includes decorative cornices, niches on the stairwell, and a fine decorative sectional ceiling in a principal room at the southwest of the house. There are panelled timber doors, shutters, some dado panelling, and the main timber stair has decorative timber bannisters. There are also a number of fireplaces and fire surrounds dating from the mid to late 19^th century.

Historical development

The Dictionary of Scottish Architects records that Clayton House dates to around 1830. This dating is reflected in an article in the Fifeshire Journal from 1840 which advertises the house for sale. The advert describes Clayton House as 'a modern mansion-house' with offices, garden with walks, and 66 acres of land all of which suggests that the house and estate was recently built at the time of writing in 1840.

Clayton House first appears on the 1^st edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1854, published 1855). The map shows the house as roughly a T-plan form with a central ancillary section at the rear (northwest). The walled garden with unusual angled corners is shown neighbouring the house at the northeast. There is a steading with a circular horse mill at the south west of the house and a lodge at the northeast. What appears to be an ornamental meadow is laid out on the sloping ground to the southeast of the front of the house.

The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1853 – 55) records that Clayton House was owned by John Black Esq. and describes it as 'A handsome villa with offices and a large garden and lawn attached'. A contemporary society reference book, The Patrician VIII, notes John Black had a son in 1847, and newspaper articles record daughters born in 1851 and 1853 at Clayton House.

The previous listed building record described a panel and shield on the house dated 1856. This feature was not seen in 2021. The date of 1856 does not coincide with the build date or additions to the house and may have marked a period of new ownership. A newspaper article from 1857 records the marriage of a daughter of Mr William Pagan, of Clayton House and the stone may date from when he took ownership. The Dundee Peoples Journal of 6 April 1861 records the formation of the 'Cupar Property Investment Company' under an act of Parliament and William Pagan, Banker, is listed a trustee. This suggests the building was a high status as occupied by a prominent local businessman at that time.

The Dundee Courier advertised the Clayton Estate was sold again on 6^th September 1871. The new owner may have commissioned the additions and alterations in the 1880s that the Dictionary of Scottish Architects records were carried out by Fife based architect James Ross Gillespie. The 2^nd edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1893, published 1894) shows the alterations included additions extending to the rear at both sides. The footprint of the house on this map is largely as the house appears today. Wider developments to the Clayton Estate in the later 19^th century also included the addition of the greenhouse and a gasometer to the walled garden, and a second entrance gate lodge to the west of the house. These works may have been commissioned by a new owner to improve the house because in 1882, 1890 and 1907 the estate is advertised for rent as a desirable residence for long term lets or summer quarters for city gentlemen.

Clayton House estate has been used as a caravan site since 1966 and static caravans now extend over a large area surrounding the house including the former meadow to the south and east. A later 20^th century house spans the north wall of the walled garden which now has a tennis court within it. By the later 20^th century the steading buildings were replaced with service buildings which appear to have used some stone from the demolished steading in their design. Mature trees enclose the house itself which is which not visible from the caravan site. The earlier 19^th century gate lodge located to the northeast of the house and the later 19^th century gate lodge to the west both survive largely in their 19^th century forms.

The previous listed building record noted the house had been converted to flats in the 1980s and a condition report of 2005 noted the interior as a five bedroom house with separate one bedroom self-contained flat. The building is currently unoccupied (2021).

Statement of Special Interest

Clayton House meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• It is a good representative example of an earlier 19^th century house designed in the classical style with some notable stone detailing.
• The house is largely unaltered since the later 19^th century and retains much of its historic character.
• A good 19^th century interior decorative scheme survives with a particularly high-quality decorative plaster ceiling in one public room.
• While the immediate setting has been altered, the survival of associated former estate buildings including the walled garden and gate lodges in the wider setting helps us to understand the function of the estate in the 19^th century.

Architectural interest

Design

Clayton House is a well-proportioned, classical style house designed in the first half of the 19^th century. The classical style was typical for houses of the period and Clayton House is a good example of the use of this style for a small country estate house. Its design quality is particularly evident in its symmetrical front elevation with its classical stone entrance portico on paired fluted columns and the paired symmetrical pavilion wings which adds to the grandeur of the composition. Although the architect of the earlier 19^th century house design is not known, the quality of the stone detailing suggests this was a commission with a degree of status. The addition of a columned porch, rather than the more common pilastered doorpiece, will have added significant additional expense.

The materials used in the design are not unusual for buildings of this type and date but the stonework is of a high quality for a relatively small estate house. The stone is likely to have come from a local quarry and the way it has been used shows good workmanship.

The later 19^th century alterations and additions by James Ross Gillespie (1854-1914) were sympathetically scaled and detailed and retained the symmetry of its principal elevation. Gillespie was a local St Andrews based architect whose commissions included works for the linoleum mills in Kirkcaldy. He was experienced in enhancing country houses as most of his commissions were alterations to existing estates rather than new designs. He went on to carry out large commissions for the University of St Andrews, St Leonards School and substantial additions to the Royal and Ancient Golf Clubhouse.

The design of the principal elevation appears to be largely unaltered from the late 19^th century. The alterations to the principal elevation in the 1880s, which include the canted ground floor windows, compliment the original earlier 19^th century symmetrical design and the two construction stages are clearly distinguished. The high quality alterations and additions to the house in the later 19^th century demonstrate the continued importance of the Clayton House in the local area during this period.

From the information currently available, the plan form of the house appears unaltered from the later 19^th century and it remains a good representative example of a plan form of a classical country house for the date.

Clayton House retains a number of good quality and well detailed interior decorative features including plasterwork, fire surrounds and timber bannister. Interior features are often lost through reconfiguration of spaces and changing use over time. The extent of surviving 19^th century interior features adds to the special interest of the building in listing terms. The decorative coffered plaster ceiling in the principal room is of particular high quality.

Setting

Clayton House was designed overlooking an ornamental garden and estate grounds, at the centre of a small country estate. Its immediate setting has been altered since the 19^th century and it is now closely surrounded by tall trees which visually separate it from the wider, former estate grounds.

Later 20^th and early 21^st century developments in the grounds have formed a large caravan park and associated service buildings around the house. Although these changes have had a significant effect on the setting of the house, the history of the site is still referenced by the other surviving buildings on the site. The earlier 19^th century walled garden neighbouring the house at the northeast and the and two entrance gate lodges remain and help us to understand the former function of the 19^th century estate.

Age and rarity

Dating to around earlier 19^th century, Clayton House is not a rare building for its type and date. There are many earlier 19^th century houses designed in the classical style which survive both locally and across Scotland. Examples that have good design features and are not significantly altered may meet the criteria for listing.

Clayton House was a relatively high status house when it was built in the earlier 19^th century. This is evidenced in the fact that the surrounding estate formerly included meadows and walled garden with an unusual plan form – elements more commonly found in larger estates. The status of Clayton House is also reflected in the quality of its design and decorative details which distinguish it within its building type.

Although Clayton House is not a rare or early example of a small estate house, the quality of design detail and the substantial lack of alteration since the late 19^th century means it is a good surviving example of its building type.

Social historical interest

This house was commissioned and continued to be occupied by people of prominence within the local area which is typical of a domestic building of this date and type. Black is recorded as the owner in 1849 and may have built the original house. William Pagan, the following owner, was a founding trustee of a Cupar based investment company in the mid-19^th century.. There is no special interest under this heading.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Statutory address changed from Clayton House (Now Flatted) to Clayton House, Clayton Caravan Park, St Andrews and listed building record revised in 2021.

References

Bibliography

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