Broomhall

A 2-storey and basement Neo-Classical mansion designed by Thomas Harrison in 1796, built of sandstone ashlar. The rectangular-plan building is 11 bays across and comprises a principal house with wings. The basement is rusticated; console-pedimented windows ornament the principal floor on the north elevation; principal and first-floor windows throughout feature moulded architraves. A string course runs at ground floor level, with a moulded string course below the first floor to the front, rear, and first bay of the south elevation return. Moulded eaves cornice and a continuous low parapet run throughout, except for a later addition to the far west. A later central advanced 3-bay classical portico with dentilled detail was added in 1865, supported by two piers with composite capitals. Utilitarian 19th-century servant wings were added, with further wings extending westward.

North (Principal) Elevation

Symmetrically composed, with an advanced central bay beneath a corniced portico. Two supporting piers carry a moulded base, composite capitals, fascia, and dentilled cornice; steps lead up to the entrance. The central 3-bay glazed section contains a glazed door set back with inner piers and coupled pilasters, flanked by single pilasters on each return. Four basement windows lie to each flank; eight piano nobile windows are centred above these; eight first-floor windows align above the principal-floor windows. An advanced central section rises above the portico with a raised parapet, a central window, and flanking crests. The west wing is set back slightly and constructed of rubble with stucco, featuring a central door with rectangular fanlight, a first-floor window centred above, two tall ground-floor windows flanking the door, and smaller, squat first-floor windows centred above. A plain ashlar band course marks the upper window level, with eaves band and moulded eaves and low parapet. The east wing, similarly composed of 5 bays and refaced in ashlar, contains 5 tall ground-floor windows, smaller squat first-floor windows centred above, a central tympany gable, and a corniced stack. A later (earlier 20th-century) advanced first-floor porch with forestair provides access to flatted accommodation in part of the east wing. An advanced small lean-to structure stands to the right of the west wing, with a rear wing behind and to the right. A further advanced later wing to the far right is constructed of tooled, coursed stone with ashlar surrounds to windows and door, quoins, and eaves band. An advanced section (former drying room) to the left contains two ground and two first-floor windows. The former box and gun room, set back to the far right, contains two ground and two first-floor windows.

West Elevation

The former gun room gable end features a forestair to a first-floor door to its right, with an archway within the forestairs and steps below leading downward; a window sits to the left of the arch. The main house gable end has its left section partially blocked by a later wing. A glazed ground-floor door with flanking glazed panels and rectangular fanlight with radial cames is positioned to the right, with a principal-floor window above and three first-floor windows. A slightly advanced section to the right contains a single first-floor and basement window. A tripartite window at principal-floor level is supported by two outer square-plan piers and two inner attached Doric columns, topped by a plain frieze, dentilled cornice, and recessed elliptical arch.

South Elevation

Symmetrically composed of 11 bays with a window to each bay; a bowed 3-bay centre dominates. Consoled cornices adorn the piano nobile windows except for the central three. A single pilaster stands at each end of the advanced bowed section, flanked by attached single Ionic columns; coupled attached Ionic columns flank the central window, surmounted by a plain frieze and dentilled cornice. Three Coade stone panels depicting the Muses crown the central windows. The east wing is set back with a central rusticated Venetian door. A lean-to addition sits to the far right. A bowed 2-storey bathroom section in the inner angle is constructed of ashlar with a rusticated ground floor; it contains three windows and a single first-floor window. A 2-storey west wing features a later 2-storey passage section built in front. A single-storey wash-house stands to the far left. Flagstones pave the ground to the central house section and right and left returns.

East Elevation

The right section is partially obscured by a later wing. A glazed ground-floor door with flanking glazed panels and rectangular fanlight with radial cames is present. A split ground-floor window reveal indicates a former entresol level; three first-floor windows remain. A slightly advanced section to the left contains a glazed basement door, a blind first-floor window, and a tripartite principal-floor window supported by two outer square-plan pilasters and two inner attached Doric columns, topped by a plain frieze, dentilled cornice, and recessed elliptical arch. The east wing's ground floor gable is obscured by a recent lean-to extension. A first-floor window sits to the left. A central tympany gable and corniced stack complete the elevation.

Roofing, Windows, and Details

Predominantly 6 and 10-pane timber inward-opening casement windows feature a single moving pane for ventilation. Some attachments for exterior blinds remain. Slated shallow piended roofs cover each elevation. Numerous coped and corniced stacks, some with fluted shoulders, punctuate the roof. Solar panels have been installed in the east wing roof, south-facing.

Garden Features and Outbuildings

A low sandstone rectangular-plan balustrade with quadrant links, dating to circa 1890, encloses the garden at the south elevation. Squat gateposts carry decorative metal gates. Tall walls enclose a kitchen court at the far west wing to the principal elevation. An L-plan wing extends to the north with a curvilinear tail to the east and a coped gatepier. A single-storey larder in the northwest angle features two timber-boarded doors with rectangular ventilation holes, a conical slated roof, and a central timber-louvred ventilation stack. A wall with a corniced gatepier extends northward from the servants wing to meet a southeast gatepier. A further wall to the far west with a coped and corniced gatepier extends northward to meet the northwest gatepier, swept at the south.

A 19th-century single-storey stable range features rubble walls with raised ashlar surrounds to doors and main windows; droved stone appears in places. The north (principal) elevation contains a door to the far right with a timber-louvred ventilation opening above, a window to the left flank, and six doors to the right (one blocked to form a window) with small windows above. A coach-house to the far left includes a window to its right and two timber-boarded doors in the right return. A section set back to the left has a central door with fanlight and flanking windows. A glazed canopy extends from the far left section, supported by columns. The south elevation is plain. The west elevation contains a door to the right and a blocked window to the left. Timber-boarded doors and 4-pane timber sash-and-case windows with smaller bottom-hung tilting windows above the doors are throughout. A piended slate roof covers the stable range, with a piended slate coach-house roof raised above.

The interior of both the principal house and the stables was not seen at the time of survey in 2000.