Preston Grange, Prestonpans

Preston Grange, Prestonpans

A large baronial mansion with a late 16th-century core that was recast internally in 1750 and then largely remodelled between 1830 and 1850 by architect W H Playfair, with later additions. The building is constructed of stugged, squared and snecked yellow sandstone and rubble, with polished ashlar dressings. Iron finials crown the towers, and the eaves feature a moulded course.

North Elevation

The entrance front is a 13-bay asymmetrical composition. A 6-bay block projects to the left. The central 3 bays are near regularly fenestrated, with a 4-panel timber door at ground level to the left and barred single and bipartite windows to the right. Three windows are regularly spaced at first-floor level, and three near-regular gabletted windows break the eaves, decorated with shields and finials. An angle tower to the outer left is corbelled out at second-floor level with an irregularly fenestrated conical roof.

The penultimate bay from the right is canted, forming an octagonal tower with symmetrical fenestration. At ground level stands a studded, vertically-boarded timber door surmounted by a tooled panel reading 'MDCCCXXX', flanked by blank cartouches. Above this sits a decorative tooled armorial panel comprising a shield divided per cross with mantling, ribbon and badge, and a scroll reading 'Nothing Hazard Nothing Have'.

The outer right bay forms a square tower with a single window to the first and second floors and a small attic window, deeply moulded eaves cornice, and an ogee roof. The right return has single windows at ground and second floors, with a stair swept up to the left and a 2-bay gabled recess to the right containing a bipartite window at first-floor level and two single windows at second floor, with a stepped-back gable.

A recessed gabled bay is set back six bays from the left, with a single window centred at first and second floors. A 3-bay block steps back to the right with a boarded timber door centred at ground level, flanked by single windows. At first floor is a tripartite window flanked by further windows. Two gabled windows breaking the eaves at second floor are decorated with thistle and fleur-de-lis finials.

A 4-bay block advances to the outer right, comprising an advanced crowstepped gabled bay at centre with single windows centred at ground and first floors. The left return is blank, with a single-storey addition at ground to the right return containing a window in the crowstepped gabled bay to the left and a doorway to the right. A single window at second floor rises to form an octagonal tower with a crenulated parapet. Single windows at first, second and attic floors to the left return. The penultimate bay from the right has ground-floor fenestration obscured by the addition mentioned above, with regular fenestration to first and second floors. The outer right bay forms a 5-stage square-plan tower with a window at ground level and regular fenestration to the right return, deeply moulded eaves cornice, and an ogee roof. A flat-roofed modern addition adjoins to the outer right.

West Elevation

This is a 3-bay asymmetrical composition with a crenulated parapet. The ground floor is obscured by the flat-roofed modern addition. The square-plan tower to the outer left (as described above) features irregular fenestration at all floors, and a window in the canted bay to the re-entrant angle to the left at second-floor level.

South Elevation

This 12-bay asymmetrical rear elevation includes a rounded candle-snuffer roofed stair tower advanced in the 5th bay from the right, with windows at principal and first-floor levels. Corbelled infill appears to the right return at second floor.

A T-plan staircase with ashlar steps and an entrance platt oversailing the basement in the 5th bay from the left leads to a roll-moulded architraved doorpiece with a 2-leaf glazed timber door. This is surmounted by a cornice and a tooled ashlar decorative strapwork panel incorporating a central shield. The balusters of the staircase are returned and continued as a balustrade to the right, with decorative stone balusters, occasional panelled dies, and a saddleback cope.

A 3-light rectangular window is advanced in the 4th bay from the right. A 5-light canted bay extends through all floors in the 3rd bay from the left, breaking the eaves. Near-regular fenestration appears in the remaining bays at first-floor level. Gabletted windows breaking the eaves to the left of the stair tower at second floor are followed by regular fenestration to the right. Three irregularly-spaced gabletted dormers with decorative finials appear at second-floor level. An angle tower corbelled out at first floor to the outer right is irregularly fenestrated with a conical roof.

A 3-bay castellated block advances to the outer left, with a gabletted bay featuring a crowstepped gable advanced and rising to second floor to the left, containing windows centred at first and second floors. A flat-roofed addition sits at ground level. Irregular fenestration appears at basement level.

East Elevation

This 4-bay asymmetrical elevation features a predominantly blank gable advanced to the outer left, with a flat-roofed single-storey entrance block at ground containing a door to the north, with a boundary wall adjoining to the right. A square-plan tower adjoins, deeply canted at ground-floor angles, with a window to ground floor and a window to second floor of the right return, topped by a pyramidal roof.

A single bay recess to the right of the right return contains regular fenestration at all floors. A gabletted penultimate bay from the right has bipartite windows to ground and first floors, with a single window set in the gablehead. A gabled bay steps forward to the outer right with single windows to the left at ground and second floors, the remainder blank. A tower anchors the outer right angle (as described above).

Windows and Roof

Timber sash and case windows throughout. Grey slate roofs with metal ridges. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Ridge and gablehead stacks are corniced with circular cans. Coped skews complete the detail.

Interior

The fine entrance hall was restored in 1999 and features timber panelling below the dado, a stone staircase, and decorative plaster mouldings to the ceiling with some tapestry hooks still evident above the panels. Evidence of working panelled shutters survives.

Boundary Wall

An L-plan boundary wall of coped, stugged, squared and snecked sandstone adjoins the building to the east elevation. It incorporates a doorway with a wall-mounted decorative pediment including a coat-of-arms featuring a shield divided per pale with the sinister half divided per fess on a foliate cartouche, surmounted by a helmet with mantling.