Vogrie Dower House, Ford

Vogrie Dower House is a 17th century tower with two circular stairtowers, enclosed and substantially altered by late 18th, 19th and 20th century additions. The building presents a near Z-plan form with castellated features, rising to 2 storeys overall with two 3 storey towers. It is harled with polished dressings, featuring coped crenellated parapets and crowstepped gables.

The principal (west) elevation is asymmetrical across 6 bays. A circular 3 storey tower dating to circa 1800 occupies the penultimate bay to the left. The central section contains a small-paned glazed door flanked by two round-arched windows at ground level, with three round-arched windows to the first floor and a central round-arched window to the second floor. A small-paned door of late 18th century date sits at ground level in the outer left bay, with a single window above to a later 20th century first floor addition. The late 18th century third bay from the left has a single window set in its gable at first floor level. A later 20th century single-storey flat-roofed porch addition is set in a re-entrant angle with the fourth bay from the left, featuring a glazed small-paned door with 3-pane fanlight to the right, a window to the left, and a window to the right return; a tripartite window is centred to the first floor and a single window to the second floor, with a crenellated screen wall above masking the 17th century core. The remaining early 19th century single-storey bays contain advanced windows and doors. A later 20th century single-storey 2-bay wing advances to the outer right with windows to each bay.

The south elevation is asymmetrical across 4 bays. The outer right section retains 17th century work including a circular stair tower with a window to its right return and a fish-scale roof with metal finial. A 20th century 2-bay wing at ground level advances symmetrically with two windows and a window to the right return. A 3-bay late 18th century addition is recessed to the left, with irregular fenestration at ground and regular fenestration to the first floor, each window accompanied by a crowstepped gablet breaking the eaves above.

The east elevation is asymmetrical across 6 bays. A 3-storey 2-bay screen wall to the centre masks the original 17th century house with regular fenestration to each floor. An early 19th century single-storey 2-bay addition to the left contains a window in each bay. A single-storey addition to the right has a 2-leaf small-paned glazed door to the left and a window to the right. A tower, possibly of 17th century date, is recessed behind with a graded fish-scale roof, slate easing course and metal finial.

The north elevation is asymmetrical across 6 bays. A single-storey bay at the outer left has a single window and coped flat roof. The penultimate bay to the left contains a 4-pane window; the third bay from the left has a window with a crenellated parapet above and a 2-storey gabled wall behind. The fourth bay from the left and penultimate bay to the right are advanced as single-storey sections with a window to each bay and flat coped roofs. A 2-storey bay at the outer right has a window to the ground floor and a window to the left return of a late 20th century first floor addition.

Windows are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case, with 18-pane examples to the tower. Grey slate roofs feature lead ridges. Gablehead and wallhead stacks are incorporated into the crenellations. Cast iron downpipes with decorative hoppers complete the external detailing.

The interior contains a small dome rooflight to the entrance porch with English rose mouldings, leading to a sitting room with a coffered timber ceiling, modillion cornicing and a decorative fireplace, with shutters. A similar room exists above. The original 17th century spiral staircase remains intact. An oak-panelled hall dating to 1901 features a cornice ornamented with rose, shamrock and thistle motifs. A stained glass door bears the coat of arms of the Dewars of Vogrie. The living room at ground level in the tower bow has a coffered ceiling with Ionic columns flanking a buffet recess and a carved fireplace matching that in the aforementioned ground floor room.

The gates, gatepiers and boundary walls form part of the listed structure. A semi-circular plan crenellated wall stands to the east of the house. 19th century octagonal polished gatepiers feature fluted and coffered friezes with decorative cast iron gates. Coped tooled rubble quadrant walls are surmounted by simple cast iron railings.

The building was initially called Tyne Lodge but became known as Vogrie Dower House when it assumed this purpose in 1901. At that time it was also internally refitted.