Smeaton House

Smeaton House is the remains of an early 18th century Classical house, attributed to James Smith. Originally designed as a three-storey U-plan structure opening to the east, it featured round towers at the corners of the west elevation. Currently, less than half of the original design remains, consisting of a two-storey house and a three-storey tower, along with various later alterations and additions. The ground floor is vaulted.

The building is constructed from sandstone rubble with harl-pointed finishes and ashlar dressings, including a base course and a moulded cornice. The original southern wing of the house has been sympathetically extended to the north at the eastern end, likely in the 19th century. The vaulted ground floor has small original windows, while each elevation features several later and altered windows. The south elevation has four bays with irregular fenestration, and the east elevation has two bays, one of which is part of the later extension. The left window on the ground floor has been considerably enlarged. The east elevation also includes a projecting extension on the outer left with windows on each floor and a flush panelled door on the return elevation to the west. A lean-to bay at the center has a window on each floor. The advanced bays on the outer right are built up from the remains of the curtain wall and have flat roofs, with modern windows and a secondary door.

The west elevation features a round tower on the outer right and two closely grouped bays of the two-storey house to the left, with altered openings and a blinded bay to the left. The round tower is adjoined by a rectangular stairblock, which has a door at its base. Later windows have been inserted into the west elevation, and there are blinded arrow slits on the stairblock to the south. The roofs are conical and piend, with small-pane glazing patterns in the sash and case windows. The piend roofs are covered with grey slates and have lead flashings, while the stacks are rendered.

The remains of the curtain walls on the west elevation extend to ground floor height and feature some blocked openings, topped with ashlar coping. A low portion of the second tower is retained to the northwest and has been converted into an outbuilding with a flat roof. The garden walls are made of sandstone rubble with ashlar and semi-circular coping, extending from the southern elevation to the south.