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Summary

Description

Built around 1910, with an addition at east around 1950 and a further large addition by Thoms and Wilkie in 1973. Single storey, two-storey and attic, irregular-plan Arts and Crafts villa. Harled, slate roof. Flat-roofed dormers; deep sweeping eaves with plain bargeboards, ashlar-coped and moulded chimneystacks with terracotta cans.

The original listed building record (1991) noted that the building had some transomed and mullioned windows with leaded panes at south and west, and other multi-pane timber casements, but the current windows largely appear to be uPVC replacements (2026). Previously converted to a children's nursery, the building is currently being converted into apartments (2026). The building is located on a corner plot in a suburban setting in the west part of Broughty Ferry.

North Elevation: integral entrance porch off-centre flanked by windows, blank bay at right, two dormers in swept roof above; projecting stair gable at left with window; wide recessed bay at far left with door, back-stair window and various other windows, dormer and rooflights; later additions in sympathetic style at outer left.

West Gable: two-storey canted window at right with piended roof, large window at ground floor left, smaller window at 1^st floor.

South Elevation: off-centre advanced gable with window at ground and 1st floor set in recessed round-headed panel, windows at ground and 1st floor right return and 1st floor left return; bay at right with window at 1st floor, two dormers; modern additions at far and outer right; further advanced single storey gable at left re-entrant (1986) with large segmental window and window at left return; two round-headed windows at far left, three windows at 1st floor, dormer.

Original listed building record (1991) stated that the interior comprised: wide-boarded outer hall with cove ceiling, panelled inner hall with half-timbered ceiling leading to scale and platt staircase with barley-sugar balusters; fielded panelling in dining room, ashlar chimneypiece and metal hood. The interior was not seen in 2026 but is understood to have been altered.

Lamp Standard: wrought-iron Arts and Crafts-type lamp standard.

Gatepiers: two rendered and lined gatepiers with bulbous ashlar caps, 'Belsize' inscribed at south gatepier.

The building was used as offices by the North American Trust plc and First Scottish American Trust plc from the late 1950s. Converted to a children's nursery and offices in the early 21^st century and currently being converted to apartments (2026).

Historical development

The building first appears on the Ordnance Survey map (revised 1921, published 1923). An addition to the east is shown on the Ordnance Survey Grid map (published revised 1968, published 1969) and a further large extension was added in 1973 to the designs of Thoms and Wilkie.

The building was used as offices by the North American Trust plc and First Scottish American Trust plc from the late 1950s. It was converted to a children's nursery and offices in the early 21^st century and is currently being converted to apartments (2026). The windows have been replaced with uPVC and the interior has been substantially altered.

Statement of Special Interest

The building meets the criteria for listing for the following reasons:

• The building is a good surviving example of an early 20^th century villa designed in the Arts and Crafts style.
• It retains a good degree of authenticity in its surviving external form, plan and architectural features.
• The mid to later 20^th century extensions do not adversely affect the historic character of the building.
• While there has been later infill development, the character of the suburban setting is largely retained.
• Dating originally to 1910 the villa is a comparatively early example of a suburban villa in the Arts and Crafts style.
• The building is one of earlier villas developed in the expanding and affluent part of Broughty Ferry.

Architectural or historic interest

Belsize House is a good surviving example of an early 20^th century early Arts and Crafts style villa which largely retains its external form and footprint. The later extensions are largely sympathetic to the original design of the building.

While the villa has undergone some alterations, such as the replacement of the windows, the Arts and Crafts character of the building is still clearly evident. Features which contribute to its special interest include the irregular plan, varied fenestration, steeply pitched roof, dormers, chimneystacks and canted bay.

Belsize House is located in the western part of Broughty Ferry, an area historically made up of large suburban houses and gardens. Although infilled by later 20^th century housing, the wider setting retains its suburban character and several large villas of similar date and character survive nearby.

Large villas dating to the early 20^th century are not a rare building type in Scotland, but Belsize House is distinguished by its Arts and Crafts style of comparatively early date within this period.

In the late 19^th and early 20^th century the fishing village of Broughty Ferry was transformed into a fashionable suburb for the Jute Barons of Dundee. Belsize House is representative of the large, detached villas they built for their residences. It is one of the first such houses to mark the transition moving east from the industrial area of Dundee Port into the more residential Broughty Ferry.

Listed building record revised in 2026.

References

Bibliography

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