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Summary

Description

Arthur Clyne, 1879. 2-storey, 3-bay villa with gothic detailing. Tooled coursed grey granite, finely finished to margins of S elevation, coursed rubble to remainder. Rough-faced base course; dividing band course; 1st floor cill course; overhanging eaves; timber bargeboards; decoratively pierced and moulded Kingpost detail to gableheads; iron sunflower finials to apexes.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; doorway to centre bay of ground floor, fine pilastered and moulded surround, panelled timber door, bull's-eye leaded fanlight above; narrow piend-roofed window breaking eaves to 1st floor above; bipartite window to ground floor of bay to right, gableted bipartite window breaking eaves to 1st floor. Gabled bay slightly advanced to left, tripartite window to ground floor, dated "1879" to upper sash of central pane, tripartite window to centre of 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: near-symmetrical; window to centre of 1st floor with gablet above.

N ELEVATION: asymmetrical; doorway flanked to right by small window to centre of ground floor, large stained glass stair window; tripartite window to ground floor of bay to right, single window to ground floor of bay to left, piend-roofed bipartite windows breaking eaves to left and right of 1st floor. Single storey wing adjoining to outer left.

W ELEVATION: blank; central gablet.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows with decorative stained glass upper sashes to S elevation. Piended grey slate roof with lead ridges. Coped wallhead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods, with scalloped top hoppers.

INTERIOR: fine interior survives largely in tact; panelled inner door with glazed leaded upper panes and flanking panels; skirting boards, cornicing, architraves and panelled doors. Distinctively turned timber balusters to stair, decorative newel posts. Fine panelled timber fire surrounds; some light fittings survive.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE, GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan granite ashlar gatepiers with pyramidal caps to S, with low coped ashlar walls between; granite and brick coped rubble walls to remainder. Diagonally boarded timber lean-to summer house on brick plinth adjoining wall to N, pierced timber bargeboards, slate roof and brick stack with octagonal can.

Statement of Special Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 24 Rubislaw Den South is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den South runs almost parallel to Queen's Road (on the site of Skene Road) which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned Skene Road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as Arthur Clyne, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. 24 Rubislaw Den South appears to be one of Arthur Clyne's earliest buildings, and indeed was one of the first buildings constructed on Rubislaw Den South. By 1879 Clyne was working in the same office as John Bridgeford Pirie, who became his partner around this time. In spite of this it seems likely that Clyne worked on 24 Rubislaw Den South alone, as Pirie would have been heavily involved in South Church, Fraserburgh and Queen's Cross Church, Aberdeen (see separate listings). Although the plans for the house to not appear to have survived, the initials "JC" incorporated into a ground floor window are for Joseph Clyne, a relation of the architect. The house is of simple composition, but is exceptionally well detailed both inside and out. The iron sunflower finials appear throughout the designs of the partnership, as do the distinctively turned stair balusters and fine stained and leaded glass.

References

Bibliography

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