Frognal House

Frognal House

A two-storey and attic Freestyle mansion house of near rectangular plan, originally built in 1909 and rebuilt by James Hay in 1913, with later additions. The building is constructed of squared rubble sandstone with rake jointing in parts and ashlar dressings. It features a base course, a cill course to the first-floor windows of the bowed sections, and a corniced parapet that is balustraded to the bowed sections. The windows are architraved, with those at ground level being elongated. The dormers have modillion cornices.

The north-east or entrance elevation is of ten bays. Steps lead to a near-central balustraded entrance porch on either side, flanked by channelled giant order pilasters. The entrance comprises a two-leaf glazed timber door with a three-light fanlight and a consoled hoodmould. Single leaded windows occupy the re-entrant angles with aprons and hoodmoulds. A single bowed window at first-floor level is topped with a cornice. A round-arched pediment breaks through the parapet, with a bipartite dormer at attic level. A cupola tower rises above, featuring a narrow slit window and ball finial. Two single windows occupy the ground and first floor of the flanking bays, with moulded aprons to the first-floor windows. Tripartite dormers appear at attic level. An advanced bowed bay to the outer left contains single windows at ground and first floor. An advanced section to the right includes a re-entrant angle and bowed bay with single windows at ground and first floor. The outer right portion has two single windows at ground and first floor with moulded aprons to the first-floor windows. A timber door with fanlight sits at the centre, with four windows flanking it to a later adjoining extension on the right.

The south-west or rear elevation is of ten bays, grouped 3-3-1-3. A near-central square tower with cupola tower projects to the rear. A timber entrance door opens from a re-entrant angle to the left, with two small single windows at ground level. A pedimented stair window occupies the first floor, and a cill course tops a single attic window. The parapet is machicolated. A bowed bay to the right contains three single windows at ground and first floor, with a bipartite dormer at attic level. A blank bay occupies the outer right. The left section has three single windows at ground and first floor with moulded aprons at first-floor level, topped by tripartite and bipartite dormers at attic level. A bowed bay to the left also contains three single windows at ground and first floor. A nine-bay modern extension is recessed to the outer left.

The south-east side elevation is of five bays, grouped 3-1-1. A ramp leads to a modern conservatory at the centre, with timber and glass doors and a moulded apron to a single first-floor window. An outer left bowed bay contains two windows at ground level and three at first floor, with a bipartite dormer at attic level. A quadripartite bowed oriel leaded window occupies the ground floor at the outer right, with a moulded apron to a single window at first-floor level.

The windows are twelve, eighteen, twenty, and twenty-four pane timber sash and case windows. The roof is of grey slate with pavilion and piend forms, featuring ridge and wallhead corniced stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods are present throughout.

Internally, the principal ground-floor room overlooking the garden to the rear features timber dado panelling, a door, shutters, and a fireplace, with a decorative coffered ceiling. A panelled corridor contains timber staircases with corniced newel posts and barley-sugar uprights. Upper-floor rooms are appointed with modillioned cornices featuring egg and dart mouldings and pulvinated friezes to the ceilings.

Beyond the main building, a three-compartment greenhouse with a red brick base stands to the north-east of the site, decorated with ornamental finials. The entrance drive is marked by coped sandstone gatepiers, with a globe light to the gatepier on the right. A coped red brick boundary wall encloses the site.