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Summary

Description

1762, including earlier fabric and later work. 2-storey and attic, and 3-storey, L-plan house with cellar. Brick with stone dressings, built on stone foundations of older house. Stone and rendered base course. Raised stone quoins and long and short margins. Relieving arches.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: irregular fenestration. Cavetto doorpiece to left, curved canopy on wrought-iron brackets, rectangular 3-pane fanlight, 2-leaf panelled doors. Window centred above at 1st floor and window immediately to right at 1st floor. Window to right at ground and doorway to extreme right.

S ELEVATION: framing entrance courtyard; 3 bays, doorway to right at ground with narrow rectangular fanlight, tall stair window above rising through 1st and 2nd floors. 2 bays to left symmetrical with windows at ground, 1st and 2nd floors. Gable end of main wing to right; window to left at 1st floor, small window to centre in gablehead.

E ELEVATION: symmetrical 5-bay garden front; 9-step stone flight and platt leading to full-height doorway and window with curvilinear head, 2-leaf glazed doors at ground, timber dentil cornice, large stained glass window above with leaded lights. Stone-mullioned tripartite window flanking at round, 2 windows above at 1st floor, canted dormer above outer bays, later dormer to centre.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate pitched roofs, decorative terracotta ridge tiles, coped skews. Substantial brick gablehead stacks to N, S and W.

INTERIOR: rubble cellar of original house with notable brick, lined wine bins. Stone flagged entrance hall, broad dog-leg staircase with fine wrought-iron balustrade, each baluster containing leaf forms and flower-heads, 19th Century stained glass to landing window. Principal rooms on 1st floor; that to right with fluted Corinthian pilasters, decorative cornice, frieze and ceiling. That to left with round-arched full-height niche and decorative cornice. Rooms in W wing smaller, bedroom at 2nd floor with deep coving. 18th Century, 2 panel doors remain throughout house. Kitchen at lower level in W wing with exceptional keystoned range against W gale. Semi-circular oven flue projection on outside of W gable.

BOUNDARY WALLS: brick and rubble boundary walls to rear (E) and side (S).

Statement of Special Interest

One of the most remarkable and notable of Montrose's "town houses". The present brick house was built in 1762 by John Straton upon the foundations and lower walls of an earlier house. A continuous line of owners from 1663 is recorded, but the age of the stone building is uncertain. The grounds originally extended beyond the present Melville Hall to the east and to Castle place to the west. The present entrance is through the pend at 9 and 11 Castle Place, this access being a condition of the sale of the land for the building of dwellings on Castle Place in the 18th Century.

References

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