Letham House

Letham House

A substantial laird's house of three storeys, originally built in the 17th century and substantially developed thereafter. The main mansion comprises seven bays with two flanking pavilions. The four western bays represent the original house as altered; the three eastern bays were added in the late 18th century. The building is harled and white-painted with exposed sandstone margins.

The rear (south) elevation presents seven regular bays. The four western bays contain a door and three windows to the ground floor, with four windows to the first and second floors, the latter set breaking the eaves in gabled dormerheads. The three eastern bays feature a French-window style door and two windows to the ground floor, with three windows to the first and second floors.

The front (north) elevation shows the distinction between the building's phases clearly. The western (older) section displays three bays, including a projecting gabled stair tower to the east. The two westmost bays are regular, with two windows to the ground, first and second floors, the uppermost breaking the eaves in gabled dormerheads. The stair tower contains two stair windows and is topped by a blind arrow slit in its gable. A small entrance porch of 1835 sits in the angle of the return, built in ashlar with a chamfered doorway beneath an arch, a six-panelled door, and a bipartite window with moulded cornice. The eastern section, positioned behind a screen wall (see below), presents an irregular composition with windows on three levels and two stair towers, along with a lean-to and small extensions. The western stair tower is piended with two stair windows and tiny windows to the ground floor; the eastern stair tower is gabled with a single small window; the lean-to features a plain boarded door and a single window.

Windows throughout are timber sash and case, mostly 12-pane with some enlarged to 15-pane at first floor level. The roof is of graded grey Scotch slates with crowstepped skews to the western section (including dormerheads) and plain skews to the east. Five axial stacks are present: three to the west are harled with ashlar margins and projecting copes, while three to the east are plain harled with plain cans.

A large lean-to glasshouse adjoins the main house to the east, with a modern glazed entrance.

The East Pavilion (known as The Cottage) is a two-storey, three-bay structure, symmetrical in plan, harled with exposed margins, rusticated quoins, an eaves course and cornice. The west elevation (facing the entrance drive) has two bipartite windows to the ground floor flanking a central blind window, and three windows to the first floor. The north elevation contains two windows to both floors. The south elevation is irregular with a lean-to. The east elevation, much altered to the ground floor, features three windows to the first floor, a modern extension, conservatory and doorway.

This pavilion is linked to the main house by a quadrant screen wall, harled with ashlar cope and exposed margins, with a central doorway flanked by two round-arched niches. Windows are timber sash and case, mostly eight-pane with horns (possibly replacements). The roof is piended in graded grey Scotch slates with a central stack harled with projecting cope and plain cans.

The West Pavilion (Little Letham) is also a two-storey, three-bay structure, similarly symmetrical, harled with exposed margins, rusticated quoins, an eaves course and cornice. The east elevation (facing the entrance drive) contains three windows to both floors with central windows blind. The north elevation has two windows to both floors, with one blind to the first floor. The west elevation shows two small windows to the first floor and two small central windows to the ground floor with round arch, keystone and impost blocks, flanked to the south by a recent doorway and to the north by a recent piended porch with door. The south elevation is irregular and includes a recent conservatory.

This pavilion is similarly linked to the main house by a quadrant screen wall detailed as above. Fenestration is predominantly timber sash and case, eight-pane with horns, though smaller windows feature top-opening mechanisms. The roof is piended in graded grey Scotch slate with a central stack harled with projecting cope and plain cans.

The gatepiers date to circa 1735. The outer gates (at map reference 494 737) comprise two sets of tall piers, rusticated with moulded cornices, with ball finials now missing. Each set is linked by a quadrant rubble wall, with inner piers supported by scrolled buttresses. The inner gates are similar in design but shorter, retaining ball finials and featuring decorative wrought-iron gates.

The building underwent alterations circa 1800 and 1835, with further modernisations in the 1970s.