The Swilken, 18 The Links, St Andrews

J Donald Mills 1914, remodeled from small Victorian house. 2-storey arts and crafts house on cramped site hemmed in by earlier buildings, harled and whitewashed with minimal stone dressings at cills and coping of parapet. Asymmetrical composition, broad cubic mass with stepped parapet and 5-light casement bow on left, short recessed link to circular conical roofed tower bay with 3-light windows projecting forward of adjoining building on right. 1st floor balcony with timber rail on square piers follows street line at acute angle to main facade embracing earlier 3-light canted bay and forming deep open porch of irregular quadrilateral plan on left. Glazing sashes (upper sashes 6-pane) except at bow and small weatherboarded oriel erected over balcony door in 1922. Unspoiled arts and crafts interior, hall, stair and 1st floor gallery all wainscotted in simple arched wood rectangles; vestibule leads through semi elliptically rises recess of hall to stair which rises into gallery with barrel vault stained to match wainscot, lunette paintings with figures in idyllic landscapes by Shields at both ends, unusual semi elliptically arched door with oval light. Good details throughout. Dutch tile chimney pieces ground floor hall and 1st floor drawing room, barrel shaped pendant wall light of brass in hall, late Georgian neo Tudor grate of cast-iron and brass and quarter circled steps to drawing room in gallery, slim reeded-pilaster piano dais recess with 5 light window band at drawing room.