House Of Gray

Attributed to Alexander McGill, 1714-16. 2-storey over raised basement, rectangular-plan, 7-bay classical country house flanked by single bay, finialled ogival-roofed stair towers and single storey over raised basement, 4-bay pavilions. Pink coursed rubble, grey-green at E pavilion, originally harled, ashlar dressings, piended slate roof. Cill course to basement, moulded string course to ground floor, rusticated quoins, margined windows, margined angles and band course at wallhead to pavilions and rear stair towers, corniced eaves course to main building. Originally 12-pane sash and case windows, taller at principal floor, 6-pane to basement. Rebuilt corniced, harled and channelled ridge stacks.

S ELEVATION: slightly advanced and raised 3-bay pedimented gable to centre; doorway to centre approached by steps, moulded doorcase, segmental pediment with decayed ornament, window to left and right; 2 windows to basement; 3 segmental-headed windows to 1st floor with festoons above; arrangement of arms at pediment flanked by oculi. 2 windows to ground and 1st floor main elevation left and right. Slightly recessed stair tower bays to left and right, window to basement, ground and 1st floor (window to left ground floor cut down to door approached by steps, basement window blocked). Advanced pavilion to left and right; 4 windows to basement and ground floor, 2 blocked windows to basement, 1 window and 1 blocked window to ground floor right and left returns.

E ELEVATION: (pavilion) door to basement, 2 windows to ground floor.

W ELEVATION: (pavilion) arrow slit ventilator and bipartite window to basement, 2 windows to ground floor.

N ELEVATION: central pedimented bay and flanking bays as S elevation, 2 windows to basement, ground and 1st floor left and right returns; stair towers recessed to left and right, window to basement, ground and 1st floor (later linking section at 1st floor re-entrant, right; pavilions further recessed to left and right in mirror image, pavilion to left consisting of 4 bays, ogival-roofed hexagonal stair tower second bay from right (tower to left is round, corbelled to hexagonal at basement), 4 windows to basement and ground floor. Alterations to right pavilion ground floor; various other window and door alterations. INTERIOR: totally reconstructed.