The Hermitage, Baird Street, Stonehaven

Circa 1903. Interesting Free-style Edwardian villa, with mock half-timbering, stylised Gibbsean doorpiece, timber verandah and balcony, and V-section oriel windows on timber brackets. 2-storey and attic, stepped asymmetrical plan. Harled and painted with contrasting ashlar dressings. Deep rock-faced rubble base course. Long and short quoins. Keystoned and voussoired Venetian window. Stone mullions.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: recessed gable to left of centre with doorpiece set diagonally in SW re-entrant angle, comprising doorpiece with 2-leaf part-glazed timber doors with vertically-boarded lower panels and decoratively-glazed oval upper panels and flat-roofed, decoratively-glazed, canted window above; single windows to outer left at ground and 1st floors, and 4-light V-section oriel window to centre of gablehead above. 3-bay advanced gable at right with tall bipartite window to left at ground and small broad tripartite above.

W ELEVATION: timber verandah at ground comprising 4-light bow-window within at right and 6-light near rectangular-plan window with V-section centre lights, advanced in bay at outer left. 1st floor with full-width timber balcony incorporating decoratively-turned balusters, irregular fenestration within under swept slated roof, and Venetian window at outer left.

E ELEVATION: variety of elements to gabled 5-bay elevation including V-section windows to gableheads.

INTERIOR: not seen 2005. Almost complete, including high quality panelling and beamed ceilings.

Variety of small-paned timber sash and case, and casement windows. Grey slates with terracotta ridge. Coped, whitewashed stacks with cans. Plain timber bargeboarding with exposed rafter ends.

SUMMERHOUSE: not seen 2005. Timber summerhouse with door and 3 windows.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: semicircular-coped rubble boundary walls with ball-finialled square-section ashlar gatepiers.