Galloway House

Galloway House

A major country house built in three main stages between 1740 and 1745 by architect John Douglas with site architect John Baxter, followed by substantial additions by William Burn in 1841 and Robert Lorimer in 1909.

The original 18th-century core is a three-storey house with basement, five bays wide, dominated by a central pedimented section. This main block is connected by quadrant corridors to two-storey pavilions, which were raised an additional storey during Burn's 1841 alterations. The 1841 work also included considerable alterations to floor levels and fenestration of the main block and full-height flanking extensions. Lorimer's early 20th-century work focused primarily on interior arrangements and decoration, with some additions to the south elevations.

The building is constructed of rubble stone with raised polished red sandstone rusticated quoins and architraved openings throughout.

The west (entrance) elevation features an advanced pedimented centre of three bays flanked by paired giant Corinthian pilasters. At ground and first-floor levels, these support a heavy modillion cornice; the third floor has paired panelled pilaster strips supporting the pediment. Oversailing steps lead to an architraved, consoled and broken pedimented doorpiece bearing the Stewart coat of arms in the tympanum. Ground-floor windows are single light with Gibbsian surrounds. The first-floor outer bays have bracketed aproned cills, the inner bays bracketed cills, and the centre features elaborately carved scrolls flanking a boldly carved egg and dart architraved window. Second-floor windows with bracketed cills appear in the inner bays. All windows are sash and case with 12-pane glazing (9 panes at second floor). An eaves cornice and pediment to the central bays, with crest in the tympanum, complete this elevation. The original five-bay main block was extended by adding full-height flanking bays in 1841.

The quadrant corridors are three bays each, with round-arched windows to the ground floor featuring bold keystones and square-headed windows to the first floor. A deep panelled parapet runs throughout. The major part of the 1841 work was infill additions to the rear of these corridors.

The pavilions are two-storey, attic and basement structures with double-banded quoins. Windows are simply architraved, some with four-pane glazing. Attic windows with bracketed cills break through the eaves and parapet with pedimented dormer heads. A balustraded parapet with die piers at the angles tops the pavilions.

The east (garden) elevation originally comprised five bays but now displays nine bays with the outer two bays as 1841 additions. It is three storeys and basement with terminal bays advanced as gabled two-storey sections. A central three-bay bow added in 1841 features splayed steps over the basement to glazed doors. Doric columns support a balustraded balcony over the basement encircling the bow, with further steps to the centre oversailing the basement with curved balustrade. Ground-floor windows are now tripartite (enlarged from single light during the 1841 alterations); otherwise all windows are single light. All are architraved sash and case windows with mainly four-pane glazing.

The south elevation comprises mainly 1841 infill work with a central two-storey bowed bay from 1909 bearing a balustraded parapet. Windows are predominantly single light with four-pane glazing. An addition at ground level features a columned pedimented ashlar porch with fine ashlar balustraded steps rising to the first floor.

The north elevation is similarly detailed.

Throughout, the roofs are of piended slate with tall corniced axial and end stacks, either single or grouped in pairs and linked by cornices.

The north wing and outbuildings are irregular two-storey structures with piend roofs and fine towering stacks. Beyond these lie further outbuildings including a canted block with louvred ventilator, possibly a former game larder.

The interior decoration, plasterwork, panelling and chimneypieces of the main rooms, hall and stair are predominantly the work of Robert Lorimer's 1909-10 alterations, with plasterwork by Beattie. The entrance hall is elaborate in scale, featuring a platt stair with some balusters retained from the original stair and new balusters matched to the old. Plaster ceiling cornices and roses are especially elaborate, executed in mid-18th-century style. The library survives largely intact from William Burn's scheme, as does the billiard room. The drawing room chimneypiece is of carved and inlaid marble, probably dating from the early 19th century. A false ceiling was removed from the dining room to reveal a decorative vaulted ceiling. A weathervane dial sits within the hall.

The south archway and gates comprise an ashlar segmental carriage arch flanked by broad pilasters and giant scroll, topped with a parapet and fine panelled two-leaf timber gates.

Boundary walls to the parkland are constructed of rubble with polished red sandstone coping stones. While some walls have been reduced in height in places, most retain their copes. Lodges and walled gardens are listed separately.