Scalesceugh Hall

Scalesceugh Hall

Country house, now residential home. Built 1913–14 with adjacent 1746 farmhouse. Designed by Glasgow architect Alexander N Paterson for John R Harrison in French chateau style with Neo-Georgian elements and vernacular influences.

The main house is rendered with buff sandstone dressings under Westmorland slate roof. It is two storeys plus basement to the south-west, set on an irregular, skewed H plan with principal fronts facing south-west and south-east. A link connects the east corner to the original 1746 farmhouse.

The south-east elevation features a central single-storey projecting porch with Ionic pilasters and glazed front, with the side door surrounded by heavy moulding and a Latin inscription reading "BEATUS ILLE OVI PROCUL NEGOTIIS PATERNA RURA BOBUS EXERCET SUIS SOLUTUS OMNI FENORE". Above the windows sits a segmental broken pediment with niche. To the left are two tall small-paned sash windows with Gibbs surrounds, then a stepped-out bay with window, followed by a gabled wing with full-height canted bay window under separate hipped roof. To the right are three similar sash windows, then a gabled wing with a link to the farmhouse and an external stack with exposed stone. Upper floor windows are smaller multi-paned sashes. The porch carries a solid stone balcony with ball finials above the pilasters. Other details include rusticated quoins, a dripcourse to the first floor, and moulded eaves with dentils.

The south-west elevation centres on a curved bay with three windows to the first floor, supported by two Ionic pillars fronting an open vestibule linked to the garden by a curved double staircase with decorative wrought iron balustrading. The layout is symmetrical, with two windows to either side, then a square bay with tri-partite windows to the front and gabled above. The basement floor is in snecked stone.

The link at first floor level from the east end of the south-east front features mock-Tudor framing over an elliptical archway with thick dressed stone pillars. The keystone bears the inscription "J.R.H and M.K.H", flanked by dates 1915 and 1684.

The 1746 farmhouse, now offices, comprises three-bay hall and one cross-wing in rendered stone under Westmorland slate roof. It retains 6-over-6 horned sash windows in stone surrounds, stone kneelers, and a large end stack to the cross-wing.

Interior: Beyond the entrance vestibule (entered via glazed door with semi-circular fanlight) is the entrance hall with delicate ceiling mouldings and a wooden panelled screen with pierced and carved decoration, leading to the dining room and service rooms. An ornate fireplace features bas-relief carved classical figures in the panel above. The principal rooms to the left include a drawing room with plasterwork wall and ceiling panels and an ornate fireplace with classical surround and floral motif with painted cartouche above, a library, and a billiard room with moulded cornices and panelled wood fire surround. To the rear of the hall is a gallery with elliptical arched ceiling and arched doorways to either side. The main staircase to the rear is of wood with carved and pierced balusters matching the screen below, and features a pulpit-like bow at the first floor landing. To the right of the screen are doors to a service corridor, flower room, cloakroom, and dining room. The dining room has deep cornices, a stone carved fireplace, and wooden panel frames. Ground floor rooms remain largely unaltered in plan with original features surviving. First floor rooms have been partially subdivided and altered.

History: A datestone on the farmhouse records 1746. No physical evidence supports the 1684 date inscribed over the archway to the farmhouse, which may refer to family references. The house was built 1913–14 for John R Harrison by Alexander N Paterson. The building survives in remarkably good and original condition with an unaltered exterior and a high level of survival of internal features of very high quality, representing the final flowering of the country house tradition in England.