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Summary

Description

Possibly John Chesser, 1866. Neo-Jacobean 2-storey, originally U-plan mansion of William Burn school, with various later 19th and 20th century additions. Coursed, polished sandstone with polished dressings. Base course; cornices to canted and advanced bays; buckle quoined angles; chamfered window surrounds; skews and skewputts.

SOUTH (FRONT) ELEVATION: originally 5-bay, with additional single bay at W; original end bays (i.e. bay at E and penultimate bay to W) advanced with curvilinear shaped gables, each with 2-storey 3-light canted bays; advanced single storey section between with, at left, open porch with stop-chamfered arrises, strapwork corbel features and balustraded parapet between ball finialled dies, at right, 5-light rectangular-plan mullioned and transomed bay with parapet raised at ends and centre; dormer window with shaped gable to each of 3 bays above; mullioned tripartite window to advanced bay with parapet at ground of additional bay at W; bipartite dormer with finialled, shaped gable to 1st floor above.

Timber-framed sash and case glazing; grey slate roof; squat ridge stacks; painted cast-iron rainwater goods.

W (SIDE) AND N (REAR) ELEVATIONS: gabled and finialled bay to centre of W elevation is an original survival; single bay addition at front (circa 1900); later additions to rear, 1928 (kitchen wing at NE) and 1948 (alterations and additions).

INTERIOR: largely unaltered survival of interior decoration programme of circa 1896-1900 in historicist baronial style. Alongside the elaborate carving of the oak panelling, staircase, chimneypieces and pedimented doorcases is much original leaded glass, including fine stained glass window of 1896. Parqueted entrance hall floor; terrazzo paving in porch. Uniquely intact dining room: bolection-moulded oak chimneypiece with bay-leaf garland, panelled doors, and fitted press and buffet. Rare survival of embossed and gilded Tynecastle wallcovering, employed on hall and sitting room ceilings as imitation plasterwork.

LODGE: 1866, with alterations circa 1900. Single storey Neo-Jacobean L-plan lodge with corniced gables with kneelers to S (also with finials) and to advanced bay at NW. Porch addition with cast-iron lintel to re-entrant angle at W. Squared and snecked rubble. Timber door to N interior wall of porch; narrow light at W; centred window to gable bay at NW; bipartite window to S gable with recessed carving to square, moulded panel; carved finial at SW angle, linking to gatepiers by stepped gateway.

GATEPIERS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: chunky ball finials to corniced, coursed sandstone ashlar gate piers; low saddle-back wall adjoining E gatepier, with ornate cast-iron railings above; stepped wall leading up drive from W gatepier.

2- and 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof; squat square ridge stack; cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Special Interest

The present name of the nursing home is derived from 'Torwood', by which name the house was formerly known. There was a conservatory attached to the E flank, possibly dating form 1866, which has been removed since 1948 (when it appeared on maps). The Tynecastle canvas wallcovering in the dining room, deliberately historicist, imitates Spanish or Flemish early 18th century examples. This method of embellishing walls was patented by Scott Morton and Co (London and Edinburgh). There is a trade catalogue in NMRS of 1902 with illustrated examples corresponding with those used at Tor: 'Spanish', for example, is cited on p158 as a dining room wallpaper.

References

Bibliography

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