Highmount House And Attached Railings

Highmount House and attached railings, now converted into 13 flats, was built in 1774 for Thomas Saul and has undergone alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of sandstone ashlar in narrow courses with ashlar dressings, and the sides and rear are made of coursed rubble. It features a slate roof and has an L-plan layout, consisting of a double-depth front block with a rear wing to the left, while the lower wing is set back.

The house is two storeys high over a basement and has a symmetrical façade with five bays. Notable architectural details include rusticated quoins, a deep plinth, a moulded cornice, and a blocking course. The central entrance is raised and accessed by a flight of five steps with nosings, and is protected by cast-iron railings with urn finials. The doorway has a plain surround beneath an open pediment supported by prominent consoles with guttae. On either side of the entrance, cast-iron railings mounted on an ashlar plinth protect the basement area, which features four windows made of large ashlar blocks, now interrupted by the ground-floor windows.

The principal floor windows have raised plain surrounds and 12-pane sashes. The roof includes flat-roofed dormers that are concealed by the blocking course, along with coped gables and gable chimney stacks. At the left end of the building, there is a two-bay extension that is set back, featuring a central doorway and 12-pane sashed windows. The rear of the house reveals an exposed basement, creating a three-storey appearance, and includes a round-headed stair window with impost blocks and a keystone.

Inside, the house features an open-well staircase with an open string, scrolled brackets, three turned balusters per tread, and a ramped handrail.