Auchter House, 251 Bonkle Road, Bonkle

Auchter House is a villa dated 1886, built in the Scottish 17th century style. It is a 2-storey, 4-bay, rectangular building. The exterior is of squared and tooled narrow sandstone, with snecking. A base course, cornice, and chamfered reveals to the openings are also present. The front (south) elevation features a 2-leaf door with a 3-pane semicircular arched fanlight above which is a deeply carved panel reading 'WS', a stopped, beaded hoodmould, and a small window to the first floor. To the right are paired small windows and a tall, stepped 3-light window with a shorter light to the left. Further to the right are paired windows and a bipartite window to the first floor, with the gable breaking the eaves. A gabled bay exists to the left, featuring an advanced canted bay to the ground floor, a parapet with chamfered coping, a 3-light window to the first floor with stone mullions, a moulded projecting lintel supporting carved strapwork with an armorial shield depicting a lion rampant.

The rear (north) elevation has a slightly advanced gabled bay to the outer left, with a canted window to the ground floor featuring stone mullions, which is corbelled out to a broad 3-light window with stone mullions. An armorial crest sits within the hoodmould, and a moulded panel is at the apex. The bays to the left have regular fenestration, with a blind centre bay on the first floor and a battered wallhead chimney above.

The east elevation shows an advanced, later addition to the ground floor, which is a full-length picture window with a piended roof. The west elevation features a gabled bay to the left and a 2-storey canted window to the centre, with a cornice to both the ground and first floors, and a swept slated roof. There are paired blind arrow slits to the apex and a battered wallhead chimney to the right. A modern conservatory occupies the centre bay. Narrow, bead moulded windows are on the outer right bay, with a shouldered hoodmould above the ground floor window.

The building predominantly has modern double glazing, with stained, square leaded glass in the front centre bay. The roof is covered in grey slates with lead flashing, and rainwater goods are made of cast iron. The gables are crow-stepped with ball finials, moulded kneelers, gable end stacks with moulded coping, and stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. The interior was not inspected in 2000.

At the rear of the property, within the garden, stand freestanding octagonal columns with a ballflower frieze, cornice, pyramidal caps. Iron garden railings with gilded finials are also present.