Monreith House

Monreith House is a classical mansion designed by Alexander Stevens in 1791, with a porch added by Sir Robert Smirke in 1821. The main building is three storeys with a part-sunk basement, arranged on a rectangular plan across five bays. A single-storey wing with a part-sunk basement was added to the west in 1878, later reduced to a single bay on its north and south sides. An office court, dating to around 1794, stands to the west and is linked to the house by walls on the north and south, forming an inner courtyard.

The main building is constructed of rubble, originally harled, with ashlar dressings. The ground-floor windows are notably taller than those at the second floor. Windows feature architraved margins, corniced at ground floor and truncated by a cill course at second-floor level; basement windows have plain margins. A lintel course runs at basement level on the north elevation, and a cill course appears at second-floor level on all elevations. Quoin strips define the angles, and the building is topped with a dentilled eaves cornice. The north elevation includes a blocking course with a raised tablet at its centre. The 1878 wing uses squared and snecked masonry, partly rubble on the west elevation, with ashlar dressings, long and short quoins, and an eaves cornice and blocking course.

The north (entrance) elevation features a slightly advanced wider bay at the centre, fronted by the porch of 1821. This porch has a plain frieze, cornice, blocking course, and raised tablet, with paired Greek Doric columns flanking the doorway. The entrance itself is tripartite, comprising a panelled door and a broad six-pane fanlight, with windows to the east and west returns and steps rising to the north through the base. Above the porch are recessed panels at the first and second floors, with tripartite windows to both levels. The first-floor window is distinguished by a consoled cornice, central pediment, and simply decorated frieze, while the second-floor window has dentil detail above it. The remaining bays show regularly disposed fenestration, except for a basement door in the outer right bay. The 1878 wing to the right is slightly advanced and features tripartite windows to both floors, corniced at ground level.

The south elevation spans three bays and includes a semi-circular bay at its centre. There are three windows on each floor; those at basement level in the central bay are blinded, while a French window occupies the centre at ground-floor level, with a plain wrought-iron staircase ascending from the right. Tripartite windows appear in the outer bays at all floors, pilastered and corniced at ground and first-floor levels, with consoled cills at ground floor. The 1878 wing to the left has a corniced tripartite window at ground floor and two windows at basement level, with a wall adjoining to the left.

The east elevation comprises three bays with regularly disposed fenestration; windows in the outer bays are blinded except for the ground-floor window in the left bay. A tripartite window at basement level in the centre bay features a blocked light at its centre.

The west elevation has four windows at second-floor level, with the outer ones blinded. The 1878 wing adjoins the full length of this elevation and has a window to the left of centre at ground level.

Most windows retain twelve-pane glazing in timber sash-and-case frames, with six-pane glazing at second-floor level. Several first-floor windows have plate glass lower sashes, and the 1878 wing uses plate glass throughout. Corniced ashlar chimneys include two pairs of axial stacks flanking the centre bays on the north and south elevations, with narrower shouldered wallhead stacks elsewhere and a wallhead stack. The roofs are shallow and piended, with a semi-conical roof above the semi-circular bay to the south. They are covered in grey and purple slates, and the 1878 wing has cast-iron rainwater goods.

Interior

The interior displays fine classical decorative schemes. The hall features a depressed arch over a pilastered entrance doorway, flanked by round-arched alcoves, with gilded plasterwork and a rosette-detailed cornice. A plain iron balustrade with timber handrail lines a half-turn stair with winders. A large piece of floral appliqué work from the mid to late 18th century hangs on the west wall, complemented by a floral appliqué frieze on the staircase's west wall. Architraves are painted with Latin mottoes. The dining room features later 19th-century gilded friezes, cornices, and dado rail, with a pilastered chimney alcove and Wedgwood panels to the surround and chimneypiece, plus friezes over architraves. The drawing room has matching doorcase and bookcases with clustered pier details. A room to the east is fitted with tapestry on all walls and later 19th-century gilded friezes and cornices. The study, dating to 1878, has a compartmental coombed ceiling with simple bosses and heraldic shields, a timber chimneypiece and overmantel carved with heraldic design (dated 1909), and flanking matching bookcases with an inscription also dated 1909. A full set of service bells is present throughout.

Office Court

The office court follows a U-plan to the west and is linked to the main house by walls on the north and south, enclosing a courtyard. It is constructed of washed rubble with graded grey slates covering piended roofs. A tall rubble wallhead stack stands to the north, with several brick wallhead stacks to the east. Red sandstone ridging tops the roofs. A central pend with a flat-arched entrance at its centre is flanked by flat-arched carriage arches and windows above on the west side.

Gatepiers and Terrace Wall

A pair of dressed granite gatepiers of square section stand to the east, each surmounted by a stone eagle. The west gatepier adjoins a low brick wall with granite coping; a wall adjoins the house to the east.

A semi-circular terrace wall of ashlar, dating to the late 19th century, extends to the south with a low semi-circular balustrade. A flight of steps with a balustraded handrail and panelled dies occupies the centre on the south side. The wall is surmounted at intervals by stone bowls. An inscribed pseudo-ogam stone (in the ancient Celtic alphabet) stands to the right of the porch on the north elevation.