Yester House

Yester House

Grade A listed building

Yester House is a grand classical mansion designed by James Smith and Alexander McGill, built in phases between 1699 and 1728. The pavilions were erected first, from 1699 to 1710, followed by the main house between 1710 and 1715, with interior work and decoration continuing until 1728. William Adam made significant additions around 1729 to 1730, adding a platform roof and pedimented frontispiece, then carried out interior decoration from circa 1734 to 1746. Robert Adam contributed an interior saloon in 1761, and designed a new frontispiece with carriage ramp in 1788 to 1790. In 1830, Robert Brown removed the west pavilion and subsequently, around 1838 to 1839, added a new porte cochere to the west, moving the entrance to a side position. Brown also undertook a series of interior redecoration schemes.

The building is constructed of two storeys with an attic and basement. The main mansion is flanked by two-storey pavilions. Throughout, unusually the whole elevation is finished in channelled sandstone ashlar with cill courses, channelled window architraves and a moulded cornice.

The north elevation displays nine bays. A double carriage ramp crosses the seven centre bays, leading to an ashlar terraced recess at the centre. Rising well above the eaves is a pedimented tripartite frontispiece with giant Ionic pilasters rising from the first floor. The principal floor features round-arched windows set in recessed panels divided by paterae, while the first floor windows are round-arched with balustraded aprons. Above the first floor windows are rectangular panels carved with swags, and the pediment's tympanum contains an armorial. Urn finials crown the pediment. The flanking bays have regular windows.

The west elevation comprises six bays with a deep pedimented porte cochere projecting from the two centre bays. The porte cochere has ashlar piers, paired to the west, with a simple armorial carved in the tympanum and urn finials. It is partially glazed to form an enclosed porch. Regular fenestration appears elsewhere on this elevation, with a stone balustrade featuring dies positioned before the basement recess.

The south elevation has nine bays, with three centre bays breaking the eaves line in a pedimented attic storey. At the centre of the principal floor is a round-arched doorway approached by a short flight of stone steps, flanked by tall windows. The remaining bays have regular windows, while the central attic features a round-arched window flanked by square windows, with urn finials.

The east pavilions comprise two structures. A rectangular two-storey piend-roofed pavilion with three bays to the south is joined to the main house by a flat-roofed linking block with a balustrade to the north. A taller two-bay pavilion with an ogival roof adjoins this linking block to the north, featuring oculi and small windows beneath a moulded cornice, an ogival ridge pagoda, and finials above the main roof.

Throughout the building, windows display small-pane and multi-pane glazing patterns. The roof comprises piend and platform sections with swept eaves, covered in grey slates with scalloped lead flashings. Attic windows are recessed into the roof pitch on each elevation. Corniced ashlar chimneys rise above the roof.

The interior plan form was rearranged during subsequent phases. Decoration is largely the work of William and Robert Adam, and Robert Brown, with alterations added in the late 19th century. The Dining Room, designed by William Adam, contains a fine Rococo chimneypiece and Ionic pilasters. Plasterwork by Joseph Enzwer and his assistants appears in the staircase and dining room. The Saloon, designed by William and Robert Adam, is an outstanding composition comprising a coved and coffered ceiling with paintings by William Delacour, dating to circa 1761. A decorative blue and white tiled dairy features two-tier marble shelves. In 1830, Robert Brown decorated a new entrance hall and altered the Garden Parlour, installing a new chimneypiece and coffered ceiling.