Stoneshiel Hall

Stoneshiel Hall

A castellated Tudor mansion dating to circa 1840 with later additions and alterations. The building is constructed of coursed and tooled cream sandstone with sandstone ashlar dressings, featuring a base course, moulded string course dividing floors to the right elevation, moulded cill course to the side addition, moulded eaves, and crenellated parapets. The main structure is 2-storey and 3-bay with a rectangular plan. A lower 2-storey, 2-bay en-suite addition adjoins the side; a further 3-storey addition at the rear forms a near L-plan; various single and 2-storey additions occupy the rear re-entrant angle. The harled rear additions provide textural contrast. Windows throughout feature chamfered openings with stepped hoodmoulds and projecting cills, predominantly fitted with 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. The roof is grey slate with corniced, octagonal-plan sandstone stacks topped with circular terracotta cans.

The south-east (entrance) elevation presents the principal facade. The 3-bay block to the right features a classical doorpiece at ground level to the left, comprising a pilastered surround with decorative frieze and shallow block pediment, a 2-leaf timber panelled door, and decorative fanlight. Single windows occupy the ground floor in the remaining bays and at the first floor across all bays. A regularly fenestrated 2-bay wing adjoins to the outer left.

The south-west (side) elevation contains a 2-bay block to the right with blocked windows at both floors to the outer right and a large single window at ground to the left. A blind octagonal opening is aligned above. A 3-storey wing, slightly recessed to the left, features a blocked door opening at ground to the right and single windows at ground and first floors to the left, with a blind octagonal opening aligned above.

The north-west (rear) elevation shows the original block to the left with a single window centred at first floor and a blocked window at first floor to the outer left. A single-storey lean-to addition is offset to the right of centre with a single window aligned above. A 3-storey projection to the outer right displays blocked windows centred at first and second floors. A 2-storey addition in the re-entrant angle to the left adjoins the lean-to addition, with single windows at both floors.

The north-east (side) elevation features the original block to the left with single windows centred at ground and first floors. A single-storey lean-to addition is recessed to the right with a 2-storey addition set behind. A 3-storey wing recessed to the outer right contains single windows at ground and second floors.

The interior retains predominantly original features including a stair with timber treads, plain uprights, and timber handrail. Timber panelled doors throughout, timber skirting boards, various fireplaces, and plain plasterwork are evident. The remainder of the interior was not examined in 1999.

An ancillary structure to the north, a single-storey, 5-bay former laundry, is constructed of brick (whitewashed to the front) with a coursed sandstone elevation to the south-west. The south-east (entrance) elevation features boarded timber doors at the centre and in a subsequent bay to the left, each with 2-pane fanlights, and a 2-leaf boarded timber garage door to the outer left with single windows in two bays to the outer right. The south-west (side) elevation displays a blind octagonal opening centred in the gablehead. Fenestration comprises 8-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows, with a small rooflight. The roof is grey slate with crowstepped skews. Corniced brick-built ridge and apex stacks are topped with a circular can. The interior was not examined in 1999.

Boundary walls of rubble construction partially enclose the site. Square-plan corniced sandstone gatepiers flank the western entrance, featuring moulded panels to the front and fluted hemispherical caps. Spearheaded iron gates hang between the piers.