Manse, Whitsome

The Manse at Whitsome is an early 19th-century building, likely incorporating earlier fabric, with later additions and alterations. It is a classically detailed, two-storey, three-bay former manse, with single and two-storey additions at the rear. The main block is constructed of harl-pointed, tooled cream rubble sandstone with droved and polished sandstone dressings. A raised base course and narrow strip quoins are present, along with droved surrounds to openings, droved margins, projecting cills, and a pilastered doorpiece with a blocking course. Outbuildings are situated to the northwest.

The southeast (entrance) elevation features a timber-panelled door centred at ground level, with a decorative fanlight above. The door is framed by a pilastered and corniced doorpiece topped with a blocking course, and a single window is positioned above. A three-light, corniced, canted window is found at ground level in the bay to the outer right, with a single window above. Single windows are present at both floors in the bay to the outer left.

The southwest (side) elevation displays single windows at both floors, offset to the left of centre in the advanced bay to the outer right, and single windows at both floors in the recessed bay to the left. A single-storey, four-bay addition is recessed to the outer left, with a projecting porch in the penultimate bay to the outer left; single windows are found in the remaining bays to the left and right.

The northeast (side) elevation exhibits irregular fenestration to the original block, with a single-storey wing to the right featuring a single window in the bay to the left, and a large single window in the bay to the right. A gabled rubble wing projects to the outer right.

The windows are generally timber sash and case with 2-, 4-, 12- and 16-pane glazing, although some uPVC glazing is present on the northeast side. The roof is piended and covered in grey slate, with some cast-iron rainwater goods. Tall, coursed sandstone corniced wallhead stacks are present on the main block, topped with octagonal and circular cans, while a squat stack is at the rear. The interior was not inspected in 1997.

The outbuildings consist of rectangular-plan, whinstone rubble structures forming a L-plan to the northwest of the house (the north block having been heightened with rubble sandstone to form a second storey). Rubble sandstone dressings are used throughout the outbuildings. The east elevation of the west block features a large, square-headed opening offset to the left of centre; a single door is located in the bay to the outer right, and a lean-to projection is found in the bay to the outer left. The west (rear) elevation has predominantly blocked openings. The south elevation of the north block has a boarded timber door centred at ground level and a boarded opening above; a small single window is at ground level in the bay to the outer left, with a lean-to greenhouse addition in the bay to the outer right. Grey slate roofs, raised stone skews and small skylights are characteristic of the outbuildings. Interiors feature predominantly whinstone rubble walls (partially whitewashed), stabling with boarded stalls, timber ceilings, cobbled floors, and timber hay racks.

Rubble-coped, harl-pointed rubble sandstone walls enclose the site. Squared coping is present on splayed, tooled rubble sandstone walls flanking the entrance. Square-plan coursed sandstone gatepiers topped with pyramidal caps are set at the entrance; the gates are missing.