Ellenbank And Union Mount, 1 & 3 Perth Road, Dundee

Ellenbank And Union Mount, 1 & 3 Perth Road, Dundee

This Grade B listed building comprises two linked classical villas, originally constructed as separate properties in the early 19th century and later joined together to form a university building. Ellenbank (No. 1) is attributed to architect David Neave. Additions were made to the west elevation in the mid 19th century, a single-storey addition to the rear in the early 20th century, and a linking block connecting the two buildings designed by John Donald Mills and Godfrey D B Shepherd in 1928.

The building stands two storeys with a basement. The front elevation is finished in stugged sandstone ashlar with coursers applied to the side elevations and rubble to the rear. Stugged ashlar quoins, ashlar dressings, and a piended grey slate roof complete the exterior. A band course runs at first-floor level at Ellenbank, and corniced blocking courses sit at the wallhead. Several corniced stacks remain, and cast-iron rainwater goods are in place.

Windows are predominantly 12-pane sash and case type, though some have been altered to 4-pane units. Ground-floor front windows are architraved and corniced. The linking block features leaded windows with chamfered arrises at ground floor and 16-pane windows to the first floor.

Ellenbank (No. 1) presents a three-bay front elevation. The centre bay is slightly advanced and pedimented, containing a porch approached by steps with a moulded, consoled and corniced doorcase flanked by Ionic columns and Doric angle piers. Round-headed windows occupy the returns. A modillioned and corniced balustraded parapet tops the centre bay, with a first-floor window behind. Slightly advanced bays flank left and right, each with a ground-floor window (the left and right with consoled cornices) and first-floor windows.

Union Mount (No. 3) to the left displays a five-bay front elevation with a slightly advanced, pedimented centre bay. An Ionic columned porch is approached by steps and contains a door with astragalled fanlight and a first-floor window above. Two windows occupy the ground and first floors to either side. A two-bay, two-storey addition set back to the far left contains two bipartite windows at first-floor level. A single-storey flat-roofed addition with two windows projects into the re-entrant of the main building.

The four-bay linking section to the centre features a window advanced from its two centre bays, together with three cross windows and left and right return windows. A corniced wallhead sits above, with left and right windows and four windows to the first floor.

The right return elevation of Ellenbank contains a basement door to the centre with fanlight and margined canopied doorpiece, flanked by two windows to left and right. Four windows light the first and second floors.

The left return elevation of Union Mount includes a blocked door to the left with pilastered doorcase. The angle to the far left is chamfered and corbelled at ground floor. A blocked round-headed window sits at first-floor level.

The rear elevation of Ellenbank (left side) is three bays, with a later porch and door formed from a window opening at basement and ground-floor centre level, above which sits a stair window. An advanced bay to the left contains a bipartite basement window, a single ground-floor window, and a blocked first-floor window. A bay to the right has a bipartite basement window and tripartite ground-floor window (blocked at centre), with two first-floor windows (blocked at left). A tall linked stack rises from the wallhead at the centre of the outer bays.

Union Mount's rear elevation to the right contains four windows distributed across basement, ground, and first-floor levels, with a stair window to the centre. A large single-storey brick-built structure with a piended slate roof projects from the centre. An addition to the right contains two blocked basement windows, two border-glazed round-headed ground-floor windows, and two first-floor windows. The linking section at centre contains a central door with various windows to ground and first floors.

Interior features include, at Ellenbank, a tesselated flagstone floor in the hall and a well stair with openwork balustrade. Richly decorated cornices and ceilings are present throughout, along with some panelling and original chimneypieces. Union Mount features an imperial staircase with openwork balustrade and similarly rich cornicing and ceiling decoration. Key pattern detailing appears at ground-floor window reveals. Some rooms have been subdivided, and evidence of columned screens remains. An oak-panelled former dining room occupies the linking section.

The front boundary comprises three pyramidal-capped gatepiers and a low boundary wall with seven railing posts (railings now removed).