Walled Garden With Greenhouse, Swinton House

WALLED GARDEN: Earlier 19th century with later alterations. Near rectangular-plan, tiered walled garden (approximately 10,000m2) with central axis aligned upon SE front of house; subdivided horizontally with central sandstone stair accessing upper terrace. Predominantly rubble-coped, rubble walls enclosing site; some red brick linings (heavily rendered in part); some squared coping. Various decorative details including pointed arched opening in W wall (blocked).

GATEPIERS AND GATES: square-plan, rusticated sandstone ashlar piers flanking entrance centred in S wall; ball finialed, corniced caps; gates missing. Square-plan tooled sandstone piers aligned to S (enclosing outer court) with ball finialed, pyramidal caps; decorative wrought-iron gates.

GREENHOUSE: timber-framed range set to SE with 10-bay, rectangular-plan wing adjoining taller, near square-plan block. Brick base course; plate glass panels (missing/broken in part); decorative iron ridge detailing; decorative iron finials. INTERIOR: central walkway with flanking beds; some original workbenches; decorative iron brackets; iron cogs and levers to open ridge vents in place.

GARDENER?S COTTAGE: single storey with attic, 4-bay former gardener?s cottage adjoining outer face of E wall. Sandstone rubble (whinstone in part); tooled sandstone dressings. Prominently castellated gableheads; rendered margins; projecting cills. SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: boarded timber door centred at ground; letterbox fanlight. Single window at ground in bay to outer left; box dormer aligned above. Single windows at ground in remaining 2 bays to right; box dormer centred above. SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: pointed-arched windows centred at both floors. NW (REAR) ELEVATION: various openings in lean-to addition. NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: pointed-arched window centred at upper floor. 12 pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to front; Y-traceried glazing in timber sash and case windows to sides; 4-pane timber attic lights; modern windows at rear. Grey slate roof; coped apex stacks; brick ridge stack; various cans. INTERIOR: refurbished 1998.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE: single storey outbuilding (byre?) adjoining S wall at W corner. Heavily pointed sandstone rubble; some red brick dressings. Prominently castellated gableheads (roof lowered). SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: boarded timber stable door off-set to left of centre; single window in bay to right. SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-pane window centred at ground; blocked, pointed arched opening aligned above. NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: blocked opening centred at ground (red brick voussoir arch); carved sandstone tablet above (Swinton family coat-of-arms?); blocked, pointed-arched opening aligned above. NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: boarded timber door in bay to outer left; lean-to addition obscuring remaining bays to right. Grey slate roof. INTERIOR: whitewashed rubble; blocked opening to NW.