Tower Cottage, Blairs Home Farm, Altyre

Possibly Archibald Simpson, circa 1834 with some late 19th

century alterations and additions, probably W L Carruthers.

Picturesque Italianate group of detached farm steading

buildings forming churchyard with Club House range sited at

W at slightly lower level. All harled with considerable use

of contrasting polished and tooled ashlar dressings and

margins.

TOWER COTTAGES: pair 2-storey, 2-bay cottages: round-headed

entrances in outer bay of E front with round-headed ground

floor fenestration in E and W elevation. Some lattice-pane

glazing survives, though mainly replaced by 2- and 4-pane

sashes.

Off-centre ridge stack; piended slate roof.

TOWER: cottages abut S elevation of commanding Italianate

4-stage tower, lit by narrow round-headed bipartite lights

in all faces of 1st stage and by paired round-headed windows

in 2nd stage. Heavily corbelled ashlar 3rd stage with shallow

piended slate roof with apex ball finial (corbelled 3rd stage

may be later addition). Extensive rectangular 2-storey

storage range with continuous blind arcading to upper storey

abuts W face of tower and extends N; piended slate roof.

CART SHED AND GRANARY: tall 2-storey Italianate range; 6 high round-headed cart bays in W elevation; N gable covered stair

to loft; loft and stairwell lit by round-headed lights;

bellcote at S gable apex.

POND COTTAGE: simple single storey, 3-bay S facing cottage

with centre door flanked by enlarged windows. End stacks;

slate roof. Modern extension at rear.

EAST RANGE: extensive single storey and single storey and

loft range closes E side of square; blocked centre

round-headed entrance under 2-storey stumpy tower with

exaggerated ashlar detailing; cottage and farm office

accommodation extends N and S, terminating at S in irregular

2-storey block, the end portion of which has single pitch

roof, lunette gable lights and stylistically re-calls the

lectern dovecot.

NORTH RANGE: long much altered single storey and loft range

with continuous low arcaded frontage to N elevation. Slate

roof.

CLUB ROOM AND ASSOCIATED CART-BAYS: 2-storey, 3-bay range

built against W facing slope, with 1st floor entrance at E

reached by wooden flight of steps. Cenre bay slightly

advanced and rising above flanking wings; lattice-pane

glazing. Range of 4 tall arcaded cart bays set back at S

gable. Piended slate roofs.