St Germains

St Germains is a classical country house demonstrating three distinct phases of construction, beginning in the earlier 18th century, followed by a substantial addition in the late 18th century and further alterations around 1820. Later additions and modifications were carried out by Dick Peddie in 1911; the house was subdivided circa 1950. The building now presents as a three-storey mansion with two-storey service additions on the west. It is constructed of cream sandstone rubble for the earlier 18th century and circa 1820 sections, with harling on some facades, and cream sandstone ashlar for the late 18th century work, which is also harled on its west side, alongside coursed rubble to the east.

The earliest section of the house, now situated at the rear of the present mansion, is a five-bay structure on the south elevation. It features a corniced and pilastered doorpiece with a French door to the right, with three architraved windows to the centre and left at ground level. Around 1820, the three tall first-floor windows were enlarged and given consoled cornices and bracketed sills. Five second-floor windows are set under the eaves, with two piend-roofed slate dormers added in 1911 to the steep piend roof.

The late 18th century addition is a rectangular, three-storey, seven-bay classical house. It includes a rusticated ground floor, architraved windows with cornices and cill courses at both the first and second floors, and a base course and cornice. The north elevation has a three-bay section beneath a pediment topped with an apex stack and urn finials; a tripartite doorway is centered with Doric columns and cornicing, complemented by a sunray fanlight and flush panelled door. The fenestration is regular, with the second-floor windows being smaller. A two-bay east elevation is also present. Additions dating to circa 1820 are situated in the re-entrant angle between the original sections, consisting of a wide, full-height canted bay and a further bay to the left on the south elevation, with two bays extending to the east, creating a continuous effect with the late 18th century bays. The south-facing windows are architraved and tall, featuring consoled cornices to the ground and first floors of the canted bay. A two-storey, two-bay, piend-roofed service addition was added in the 19th century to the west elevation, with a single-storey lean-to extending to the north. Further service additions are found on the west side.

The predominant window glazing pattern is 12 panes per sash, with some plate glass used. The roof is covered with grey slates and has corniced end stacks.

The interior was subdivided circa 1950, but some original features remain. These include a cantilevered staircase and platt in the entrance hall, with a simple wrought-iron balustrade and decorative geometric tiles to the hall floor. An Adam-style plasterwork adorns the stairwell. A circular room on the second floor contains a classical chimney-piece designed by McWilliam.