Bellshiel Farmhouse

Bellshiel Farmhouse

A mid-19th century Baronial farmhouse, two storeys, designed in the style of David Bryce (possibly by Bryce himself). The building is irregularly planned with crowstepped gables and displays a variety of finishes across its elevations: stugged ashlar with droved ashlar dressings to the southeast; harl-pointed sandstone rubble with droved ashlar dressings to the northeast; and harl-pointed sandstone with roughly stugged sandstone dressings to the southwest.

The southeast elevation is irregularly disposed across four bays. A large engaged full-height round-plan tower occupies the inner left bay, with a string course between ground and first-floor levels. The tower features a window to the south at first-floor level and another to the southeast at ground level, with an arrow-slit to the southwest at ground level. To the outer left, a gabled bay contains windows on each floor, with a blinded arrow-slit to the gablehead and an ashlar wallhead stack at the apex. A corbelled turret projects from the first-floor level at the outer left corner, pierced by a single vertical strip window to the south. The inner right bay contains an advanced roll-moulded doorpiece with raised semi-circular decoration above it (rising to the parapet) at ground level, positioned within the re-entrant angle formed by the tower and outer projection. This doorway has been modernised with a boarded and glazed door and a plate glass rectangular fanlight above. A window sits at first-floor level above the door. To the outer right, another gabled bay contains two windows at ground level and one window at first-floor level in the gablehead, with an ashlar wallhead stack to the apex.

The northeast elevation comprises four bays. A gabled advanced bay to the left of centre features a former bipartite window at ground level (now a glazed door in the left light) and a window at first-floor level, with both ground and first-floor windows aligned to the right. A blinded arrow-slit opens to the gablehead. The southeast return elevation of this bay has windows to each floor with a skew-gabled dormerhead above the eaves. The bays to the outer left and inner right each contain windows on both floors, topped by a plain dormerhead above the eaves. A modern single-storey addition, dating from around 1980, extends to the outer right, constructed in rubble with stugged ashlar dressings and featuring a modern glazed door to the outer left.

The northwest elevation displays four bays. A modern bipartite window at ground level in the inner right bay is surmounted by two broadly spaced windows at first-floor level. The outer right bay is slightly advanced and gabled, with a window at first-floor level and a wallhead ashlar stack to the apex. A projection (detailed further on the southwest elevation) occupies the outer left bay, incorporating a stair-tower with a boarded door at ground level in the re-entrant angle to the inner left.

The southwest elevation comprises two bays, with a four-bay return elevation of the projection set back behind. The two-bay section features windows on each floor of both bays, each topped by a plain ashlar dormerhead above the eaves. A rectangular recessed ashlar plaque sits between the bays and floors, though it bears no inscription. The four-bay return elevation of the projection is grouped 2-2. The inner right group has windows on both floors, with the first-floor window breaking the eaves and topped by a plain ashlar dormerhead. A partly-glazed door with a letterbox fanlight sits at ground level in the outer right bay. A modern two-bay single-storey addition occupies the space to the right. A flush door with a letterbox fanlight above is located at the inner left, with a window to the outer left bay. A lean-to timber conservatory extends from the two-bay group to the left.

Windows throughout are 12-pane timber sash and case. The roof is of slate, with fishscale slating applied to the candlesnuffer roofs of the turret and tower. A metal finial crowns the turret, and a weathervane (installed in 1993) sits at the apex of the engaged tower.

The interior retains working shutters, last noted in place in 1996.

A rubble wall with rubble coping stands to the north of the house.