Gardie House, Bressay

Gardie House, Bressay

A classical country house dating from 1724, with additions of circa 1820 and alterations of circa 1905 by John M Aitken of Lerwick. The building comprises a 2-storey main block with attic, arranged over 7 bays in a rectangular double-pile plan. Later porches project from the centre of the principal (west) and east side elevations. The principal front is enclosed by a walled garden, bounded to the west by a screen wall with a classical gate at its centre, terminated to north and south by pavilions.

The principal block has harled walls with stugged and droved red sandstone dressings and details. Long and short V-jointed quoins mark the corners, and an eaves cornice runs above margined windows.

The west (principal) elevation is symmetrical across 7 bays, grouped 1-5-1. A fine ashlar porch projects at ground level in the centre bay, featuring a shouldered and corniced architrave to a 6-panel 3-leaf timber door. Round-arched timber sash and case windows sit in the side elevations. Regular fenestration fills the flanking bays and first floor. Above the centre 5 bays, the wallhead is raised over a corniced pediment, with windows centred in the centre bay and above the flanking bays.

The south elevation is asymmetrical, with a single-storey porch centred at ground level, complete with cornice, blocking course, and block pediment. A modern conservatory advances at the left behind the screen wall, extending southwards. The right bay is blank. First-floor windows occupy the centre and right bays, with the left bay blank.

The east (rear) elevation is asymmetrical, comprising 3 widely-spaced bays. The centre bay is blank at ground level, with flanking windows to the right and a window with 6-pane fanlight to the left. A stair window sits at first floor in the centre bay, with windows in the outer bays.

The north elevation features a porch matching that to the south, projecting at ground level in the centre bay. A single-bay piend-roofed wing advances in the left bay. Both are partially obscured to the north by a large lean-to timber utility area. A small window sits at first floor, offset to the left of centre, with rectangular fenestration in the left bay and a blank right bay.

Timber sash and case windows throughout: 15-pane lights at ground and first floors of the principal elevation, 12-pane at second floor. The roof is a grey slate piended platform roof with cast-iron gutters and downpipes. Dormers of 1905 feature gabled ashlar dormerheads breaking the eaves at the side and rear elevations. Tall multi-flue ashlar stacks with circular cans rise through the platform.

The interior retains many period details, much dating from circa 1810 and further work from 1905 at second-floor level. The drawing room, centred at first floor, features timber panelling of circa 1750.

The garden and boundary walls, pavilions, gates, and gatepiers form a formal arrangement. A tall rubble wall encloses the garden to the west with a round-arched opening centring the south wall. A classical screen wall bounds to the west, featuring a central gate composed of horizontally-channelled piers with engaged columns rising to a frieze and bold cornice, surmounted by ball finials. Decorative wrought ironwork sits above 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber gates. Flanking harl-pointed screen walls terminate to north and south in 3-bay pavilions, each comprising a 3-centred arch with 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber doors at the centre. The outer bays are slightly advanced with blind round-arched recesses and stepped blocking course at wallhead. Rubble outbuildings stand behind flanking courtyards.