Arndilly House

Arndilly House is a circa 1770 mansion, with significant additions and remodelling in 1826 and 1850. It is a tall, three-storey and attic, three-bay, south-facing building with single-storey rear wings that enclose a narrow service court. The court is closed to the north by a long, single-storey, north-facing stable range. The original construction used mixed granite rubble with tooled granite ashlar dressings, while the 1850 remodelling incorporated polished sandstone ashlar dressings.

The 1850 remodelling introduced a central entrance beneath a round-headed arch featuring a radial fanlight, flanked by similarly shaped windows linked by a continuous moulded cornice. This entrance is fronted by an arcaded and keystoned balustraded porte-cochere, supporting ornamental urns. A projecting canted window was added to the centre of the first and second floors, while full-height, circa 1770, canted projecting windows are positioned at the eastern and western gables, the latter fronted by a substantial, 1850 circular terrace built over a single-storey, drum-shaped wing containing a cool store. Access to this terrace is provided by a curved balustraded stair built against the south face of the curved wall.

The 1850 work added small, square angle and front wallhead turrets with ogee slated roofs, a shaped centre wallhead gablet, shaped end gables, and pedimented dormer windows. Multi-pane glazing is present throughout. Dated 1850 rainwater goods are visible, along with paired heightened ridge stacks, and slate roofs.

A circa 1770 rear central stair turret rises into a shallow pyramidal roof, and is flanked at the northeast by a three-storey, single-bay wing, likely dating from 1826. A rear arched entrance leads to the service court through the stable block, and a low coped wall encloses the rear stable court.

The interior features a simple entrance hall leading to a circular rear stairhall containing a fine, circular cantilevered staircase rising for two storeys. The underside of the stairs are moulded, with turned wooden balusters and a shaped wooden handrail at the first-floor landing. There are a pair of shallow, round-headed niches on the ground and first floors.

The principal public rooms at the first floor level include the drawing room, which faces west, featuring a fine, circa 1770 plaster ceiling with ornate angle urns and a deep cornice, fielded panelled window shutters and doors (the later with carved overdoors detailed with shell motifs), and a somewhat altered white marble chimneypiece with yellow marble inlay. The dining room has 1850 glazed mural cupboards with moulded surrounds and angle rosettes. The sitting room, facing east, contains an 1850 compartmented plaster ceiling, panelled doors and window shutters, and a carved chimneypiece.