Stronvar House

Stronvar House

David Bryce designed this baronial style mansion in 1850, incorporating earlier fabric dating to around 1825 (see below for interior details). The house stands as one of the principal mansions of the parish and holds significant architectural importance as an example of work by David Bryce, one of the earliest and leading exponents of the Scottish Baronial style in the Victorian era.

The building comprises three adjoining gabled blocks oriented north to south, with cross-gables on the east and west elevations. It has two principal storeys, a basement and attic, arranged roughly four bays square, with a single-storey service wing extending from the north-west corner. The most striking external feature is a three-storey circular turret to the north, complemented by crowstepped gables, pedimented dormers, canted bay windows and prominent chimney stacks.

The main entrance is on the east elevation, set within an advanced gable with a roll-moulded architrave and a tripartite mullioned window above a datestone. To the right stands another gable, from which a bartizan is corbelled out at the re-entrant angle. A large canted window corbels out from the basement to the left of the entrance, with chamfered window margins throughout.

The north elevation is the most imposing due to the fall of the land, which leaves the basement fully exposed. At its centre stands the conical tower. To the left corner is a two-storey canted window rising from the basement and corbelled out at the top to form a gable; to the right is another gable. A large chimney stack rising from the right-hand corner balances the composition. The north-west corner is adjoined by a gabled, single-storey L-plan service wing.

The south (garden) elevation presents a more domestic appearance. A broad M-gable to the right contains a canted bay window. The remodelled remains of the previous house are recessed to the left.

Interior: The two building phases become most apparent inside the house. The front part, built by Bryce, features impressively large rooms, very decorative cornicing and heavily moulded door frames and other woodwork. An outer hall leads through to an inner hall containing the principal staircase, which has turned wooden balusters and rises to a galleried first-floor landing. The drawing and dining rooms contain marble fireplaces with Arts and Crafts tile insets; the drawing room is panelled to dado height. The former library contains a carved timber fireplace with a hammered copper hood depicting a shipping scene.

The rear part of the house dates to the earlier phase and contains smaller rooms with late Georgian fixtures. A central stone cantilevered staircase rises through two floors with cast-iron balusters and mahogany hand-rail. Above this stair is a saucer-dome with oculus. The doors throughout feature Soanian architraves, and the cornicing is more delicate than in the front section. The house retains timber-panelled interior doors, working timber shutters and decorative plasterwork throughout, with a partially flagged basement floor.

The exterior is constructed of sandstone ashlar with graded grey slate roofing. Chimney stacks are coped ashlar with yellow clay cans. Windows are sash and case with predominantly twelve-pane glazing, though some plate glass has been introduced. The front door is a two-leaf timber-panelled door.