Ellangowan, 24 Lower Oakfield, Pitlochry

Ellangowan, 24 Lower Oakfield, Pitlochry

A 2-storey villa with attic, built in 1870 and extended around 1970. The main building is a 3-bay structure of coursed rubble with contrasting roughly squared quoins and droved margins. It features a round-headed, keystoned and pilastered porch on the principal (south-west) elevation, constructed of stone with a flat roof and corniced detail. The porch contains a 4-panelled timber door with a semicircular plate glass fanlight. Windows throughout have stone mullions and chamfered arrises, with 4-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case frames.

The principal elevation is carefully composed. The centre bay contains steps and flanking dies leading to the porch, with a window above that breaks into the eaves with a finialled dormerhead. The bay to the right has a bipartite window at ground floor and a matching window above. The bay to the left of centre features a 3-light canted window with a blocking course and blind shield beneath a stepped semicircular moulding at ground level, with a bipartite window above and a single window in the gablehead. A single-storey extension projects to the outer left.

The south-east elevation is gabled, with windows at each floor on the outer right and a small window in the gablehead. A pitch-roofed garage extension clasps the outer right angle. The north-east elevation, facing Lower Oakfield, is asymmetrical with various roof heights from ancillary structures that infill a former courtyard. A garage extension occupies this space, with Myrtlebank Cottage adjacent to the right and a boundary wall to the outer left. The north-west elevation is a gabled bay with mixed elements, Myrtlebank Cottage to the outer left and an extension to the outer right.

The roofing is of grey slates. Chimney stacks are coped ashlar with a full complement of polygonal cans. Eaves are overhanging with plain bargeboarding and kingposts. Cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers are fitted throughout.

The interior contains an unusually elaborate and detailed decorative scheme. The hall has a tesselated floor with etched glass to a screen door. A dog-leg staircase features timber balusters and ball-finialled square newels. The staircase is surmounted by a coffered ceiling with plasterwork panelling, the ceiling featuring guilloche bands giving way to ropework moulding and a frieze with four diminutive masks in roundels, all topped by elaborate egg and dart moulding. An etched glass rectangular small-pane cupola rises above. The interior also displays fine plasterwork ceilings, panelling, skirtings and door surrounds throughout. Fireplaces are of black marble, timber and cast-iron.

Myrtlebank Cottage is a separate 2-storey, 2-bay house adjacent to Ellangowan, with a crenellated porch. The principal (south-west) elevation features the crenellated porch with a panelled timber door, plate glass fanlight and a small window on the left return. A window above breaks into the eaves with a dormerhead. Ellangowan abuts at the outer right. The north-west elevation has an advanced gabled bay to the right with a bipartite window at ground and a single window in the gablehead, and a recessed bay to the left with windows at ground and first floor, the latter breaking into a pedimented dormerhead. A small pitch-roofed timber porch projects in the re-entrant angle to the right. The north-east elevation facing Lower Oakfield is a plain gabled bay with a boundary wall at the outer right and an ancillary building at the outer left.

Myrtlebank Cottage has 4-pane timber sash and case windows, coped ashlar and dry-dashed chimney stacks with polygonal cans, and overhanging eaves with plain bargeboarding. The interior contains decorative plasterwork cornice and a stair window with coloured margin.