Wellfield, Preston Road, Duns

Wellfield is a symmetrical villa built around 1780, with significant alterations and additions made in 1903 under the direction of James Pearson Alison. The house is situated on a terraced site, with the ground sloping to the southeast (rear). It is constructed with harled walls and ashlar dressings, featuring long and short quoins. The fenestration is regular throughout.

The northwest (front) elevation is two stories high, with a sunken basement area covered by a grille. The central three-bay block is dominated by a Roman Doric porch, featuring paterae to the frieze, a dentilled cornice, and a blocking course. A panelled oak door with a four-pane rectangular fanlight sits within the porch. First-floor windows are placed directly under the eaves. Lower, single-bay wings on either side are bowed at ground level, displaying Venetian windows and a castellated parapet with moulded coping, a feature that was moved from the rear of the building in 1903. Bipartite first-floor windows break the eaves, each topped with a pedimented dormerhead.

The southwest elevation has a raised basement with a pilastered doorpiece, featuring a flush-panelled door and a letterbox fanlight. Large and small windows are to the left, and the principal floor has a tall window at its centre. At first floor, the central section rises above the eaves, featuring a shallow segmental-headed bipartite window positioned between a pair of stacks.

The southeast (garden) elevation is three stories high. A projecting two-story porch/garden room, with a balustraded parapet, is centrally located. It includes a door at ground level and a Venetian window to the principal floor. The first floor has a glazed door leading to a balcony. Flanking bays have bipartite windows at ground level (the one on the right was partly converted to a door) and large windows to the principal floor; the window on the left originally had French windows that served a now-removed balcony. Outer bays project forward, incorporating a bow at ground and principal floor levels, with a tripartite window at ground level, a Venetian window to the principal floor, and a balustraded parapet. A Venetian window and a Dutch gable with a segmental pediment at the apex are also present. Inner returns have windows to the principal floor. The upper two floors of the outer bays were added in 1903.

The northeast elevation mirrors the southwest elevation, but with a bipartite window and a plain back door to the basement.

The windows are timber sash and case, predominantly with 12 panes, although variations exist based on size. The roof is piended and covered with grey slates, with corniced ashlar stacks.

The interior was extensively remodeled by James Pearson Alison in a lush Edwardian style. A wood-panelled hall and staircase features fluted composite order columns framing a fireplace, and newels adorned with urns overflowing with fruit. The Drawing Room boasts Alison’s best Adam style plasterwork and a fireplace, while the Dining Room displays touches of Baronialism, particularly in its two-tier design. Upstairs, bedrooms feature attractive Glasgow style fireplaces.

Boundary and terrace walls are constructed of rubble with rectangular boulder coping. Square ashlar gatepiers have cornices and squat pyramidal caps. A retaining terrace wall is also present.