Manse, Auchtertool Parish Church

This is a late 18th century, specifically 1812, Gothic manse designed by James Gillespie Graham, with a later rear wing added in 1900 by Williamson & Inglis. It is an L-shaped building of two storeys and an attic. The exterior is constructed of squared rubble and harl, with quoins marking the corners. A base course runs along the ground level. The windows are pointed-arch shaped, featuring tracery, hoodmoulds with decorative label-stops, and droved, chamfered arrises. Window sills are bracketed and the window frames use stone mullions.

The main (SE) elevation is symmetrical. The central gable projects forward and has a broad, moulded door surround, a hoodmould, a panelled timber door, and an intersecting tracery fanlight above. Above the door is a tall, hoodmoulded window with Y-traceried decoration. Flanking bays each have decoratively-astragalled, pointed-arch, bipartite windows on both floors, set within moulded panels. A traditional rooflight is located to the left above, and a modern Velux window to the right.

The NE elevation has a canted bay on the outer left with bipartite windows to each floor on the projecting face, and blinded single windows on the returns. Adjacent to this is another bay with bipartite windows to each floor. A lower extension is slightly set back to the right, featuring two windows on the ground floor and two off-set bipartite windows on the first floor, with a diamond-aligned wallhead stack dated 1900.

The SW elevation is largely blank, except for a group of four diamond-aligned wallhead stacks and a window on each floor that returns to the left. A lower, set-back extension to the left has irregular window openings.

The NW elevation is asymmetrical, with a boarded timber door at ground level, two windows to the left, and a further window at first floor level on the outer left. A shouldered wallhead stack sits above, centrally positioned.

The windows throughout use timber sash and case construction with 4-, 8-, 12- and 16-pane glazing. The roof is piended, with overhanging eaves and grey slate tiles. The ashlar chimneys are coped and topped with polygonal cans.

The interior features plain cornices and working panelled timber shutters. A dog-leg staircase has timber balusters and corniced square newels. Marble fireplaces are present, the ground floor SE fireplace being carved and pilastered (although it’s possibility not original). The 1900 extension has decorative cornices, tabbed architraved windows, and a moulded timber fireplace with a cast-iron grate and tiled surround.

Boundary walls with pyramidally-coped gatepiers and ironwork gates are located to the east.