Walls And Gates, Garden, Rozelle House, Ayr

Rozelle House, Ayr: Walls, Gates and Garden

A substantial Palladian mansion built in 1754, with significant additions by the architect David Bryce in 1830 and conversion of the stables by Cowie Torry & Partners in 1976. The building comprises a 2-storey mansion with basement, arranged as a 5-bay corps-de-logis with basement quadrant links extending to 2-storey pavilions. The east wing was later extended as a stable court. The exterior is rendered in painted harl, with a band course dividing the basement and ground floor, an eaves course, full cornice, and raised quoins.

The north-east entrance elevation features steps leading to a central entrance porch with paired pilasters, flanked by a 2-leaf glazed timber door beneath a cornice and blocking course. Single windows punctuate the ground floor returns, with an additional basement window to the right. The remaining bays display regular fenestration across basement, ground and first floors, with corniced windows at ground floor level. A 3-bay quadrant link to the right contains a central entrance and flanking windows, all blind. The 2-storey pavilion to the right has a blind return, central glazed timber door, and single window above, with flanking single windows at both floor levels (bipartite at basement to the left). A single-storey garage section projects to the outer right. A 4-bay quadrant link to the left comprises a regular sequence of entrances and windows, with a blind entrance to the penultimate bay. The 2-storey stable pavilion has a blind return with an advanced near-central pedimented bay featuring a segmental, key-stoned entrance arch and a roundel within the pediment, topped by an urn finial. Three bays to the right display regular fenestration, as do two bays to the left. A single-storey section incorporates a narrow slit window, timber door, two windows to the penultimate bay to the left, and a 2-leaf timber door to the outer left. The section to the left of the main house is obscured by foliage.

The stable courtyard features round-arched entrances with 2-leaf glazed timber doors and fanlights. The south-east elevation contains three segmental-arched glazed openings and an arched entrance to the outer right with timber door and fanlight. The north-east elevation has an arched entrance to the outer right with a square-headed window above, and five square-headed openings to the left. The north-west elevation is blind, with square-plan gatepiers and a timber gate to the left. The south-west elevation includes two single windows to a gabled bay on the right, a single window to the return on the left, a square-headed entrance to a recessed section, and a single window to the right return of the gable on the left.

The south-west rear elevation of the main house displays four bays. An advanced pedimented bay to the penultimate bay on the right contains three single windows at basement level, a tripartite window at ground floor, and a single window at first floor. A blind return projects to the left, with single windows at ground and first floor to the right return. Single windows at basement, ground and first floors occupy the bay to the right, with an additional single inner window at first floor. A 2-leaf glazed timber door marks the penultimate bay to the left, with a single window alongside. Regular fenestration appears at ground and first floor to both bays. Single windows at all three levels occur to a gabled return on the right. A blind 2-storey wing extends further right, with three narrow single windows (infilled) to a single-storey section to the outer left. An iron gate and timber entrances occupy the centre, with three narrow single windows (infilled) to the outer right.

Throughout, the windows are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. The roof is piended and platformed slate with rooflights, stone skews, wallhead and pitch stacks, and circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods complete the exterior.

The interior contains good detailing including fireplaces of iron, timber, composition and marble; cornices; and decorative moulded iron balusters and timber handrails to the staircases.

Nineteenth-century lamp standards flank the steps to the entrance.