Netherbyres House

Netherbyres House

A substantial country house designed by George Angus in 1834-35, with extensions added during the 1860s, a rear addition in the 1930s, and further alterations and additions at subsequent dates. The building is a 2-storey structure with basement and attic storeys, presenting itself as a Tudor Jacobean gabled mansion with later wings extending the original form.

The principal block is built in coursed cream sandstone ashlar to its front and south-west side elevations, with painted harl applied to the rear and north-east sides, and sandstone ashlar dressings throughout. A base course runs below, with decorative sandstone bargeboards adorning the outer gables of the original house. The openings display predominantly architraved and chamfered surrounds, some in plain chamfered form, with various sandstone and timber mullions, chamfered cills, and stepped hoodmoulds to the original block.

The south-east entrance elevation displays the original 3-bay block to the right, with a central gabled bay offset slightly left of centre. The entrance stair is constructed of sandstone treads with low arcaded side walls, panelled and corniced newels surmounted by urn-shaped finials. This stair accesses a tripartite entrance at ground level comprising a 2-leaf timber panelled door with plate glass fanlight and shouldered surround, flanked by large side-lights. A stepped, full-width hoodmould encompasses a central coat-of-arms. A single window is aligned at first-floor level, with a small attic light centred in the finialled gablehead. A tripartite window is centred at ground level with narrow side-lights, while a projecting oriel with carved pediment rises at first-floor level between flanking bargeboards within a curvilinear, finialled gablehead. A gabled bay to the outer right contains single windows at ground level in both bays, a small single window centred at first floor, and a small attic light centred in the finialled gablehead. The later 2-bay wing recessed to the left features single windows at both floors to the right, with bipartite windows in a gabled projection slightly advanced to the outer left and a carved panel aligned above, surmounted by a finial.

The north-east side elevation is 4-bays in extent. A full-height, single-bay gabled projection offset right of centre contains a timber door centred at ground level with single windows aligned at first and second floors. Single windows at basement level appear in the flanking bays, with large tripartite windows aligned at ground (fitted with timber mullions) and gabled windows breaking the eaves above. A single basement window offset left of centre is complemented by a basement window in the outer left bay, a large tripartite window offset right at first floor, and a gabled window breaking the eaves above.

The north-west rear elevation shows the original 3-bay block to the left with a stair accessing a projecting entrance centred at ground level. This comprises a timber panelled door, a 2-pane fanlight, flanking side-lights, and a full-width stepped hoodmould. A projecting pedimented window is centred at first floor between flanking bargeboards within a curvilinear, finialled gablehead. Gabled bays flank the centre, containing bipartite windows in canted basements, canted windows aligned at ground with strapwork detailing to parapets, single windows at first floor, and small attic lights centred in finialled gableheads. An irregularly fenestrated later wing recessed to the right features a full-height, ogee-roofed, square-plan tower offset left of centre. A flat-roofed projection to the outer right contains a 2-leaf timber door and single window at basement level, with a bipartite window centred at ground. A screen wall linking the original block and flat-roofed addition features a central boarded timber door with shoulder-arched surround and surmounting curvilinear gable.

The south-west side elevation comprises a 2-bay wing to the right with three single windows at basement level and single windows at both floors above in both bays. A bipartite window is centred at ground in the flat-roofed addition to the outer left, with irregularly-spaced basement lights below.

The roof is covered in grey slate with stone-coped skews and various skewputts. Corniced ridge, wallhead and apex stacks with grouped square-plan flues rise from the roofline, alongside octagonal flues with barley twist and chequered detailing, and circular and octagonal cans. Decorative rainwater goods adorn the building.

The fenestration comprises various timber sash-and-case and casement windows throughout, with a stained and leaded stair window at the rear.

The interior has been converted for residential use. Timber panelled doors with corniced surrounds are fitted throughout, with plain timber skirting boards, timber dado rails, decorative cornices, and compartmental ceilings. Various fireplaces are retained. The principal feature is a galleried, rectangular-plan stair hall containing a central T-plan stair with timber treads, timber balustrades and handrails, and a central stair window. Regularly-spaced consoled brackets support an upper gallery, above which is a stylised Jacobean pendant ceiling with central rectangular cupola. The remainder of the interior was not examined at the time of the 1998 survey.

Boundary walls of heavily-pointed rubble with arched coping enclose the site. Square-plan, coursed cream sandstone piers with plain caps flank the main entrance to the north, with gates now missing. Stop-chamfered, square-plan, coursed cream sandstone gatepiers with corniced caps flank the entrance to the south, with gates also missing.