Building record MAB36232 - WOODHILL HOUSE, BARRY

Mansion and grounds, still in use.

Mansion and grounds, still in use. Woodhill House is a two-storey mansion-house with a verandah wing, constructed in traditional harl and slate with exposed dressings. It was built in 1908 to the designs of Sir Robert Lorimer, architect, and built upon the site of an earlier Woodhill House, described by Warden in the 1880s as 'a plain building' and also having an inner courtyard. This earlier building, of uncertain date, was built by the Auchinleck family who were granted the estate in 1532. Warden also noted several dated and inscribed stones, one 'on a slab over the doorway of the courtyard', is probably a marriage lintel as it bore the initials 'J K - H F' and the date '1700'. Another probable marriage lintel was over the door of the inner courtyard, bearing the date '1604' and the initials 'W A - M D'. Three other datestones '1752', '1773', and '1704' were from Carnoustie House. The last stone mentioned by Warden was built into the dovecot (at NO 5212 3455) to the North of the house, it bore the Auchinleck arms and the beginning of a date '16--'. When the new Woodhill House was built, several of these stones were incorporated into the new building and a new door lintel was inscribed with '19.DJ.SM.08'. There is a southeast-facing entrance to the mansion-house within a projecting gabled bay, and there are wallhead gabled dormers. The 1st and 2nd edition maps show the mansion-house as a long elevation, oriented northeast/southwest, with a wing joining the rear that protrudes to the northwest. There is a second rear wing at the north of the protruding wing, and running parallel to the main mansion-house, creating a court open to the southwest. There are two further buildings to the north of the mansion-house, and another two to the east. Present aerial photographs show the present mansion-house, built after the 19th century 1st and 2nd edition OS maps, has a similar footprint, but has been shortened at the northeast, bringing that end of the building to the end of the adjacent protruding rear wing. The parallel rear wing creating a court has gone, and there is a new wing projecting to the northeast, creating a Z-plan building. The buildings to the north and east have gone, and there is now a single long rectangular building to the northeast. To the west of the mansion-house are two narrow rectangular buildings, which are at the northwest corner the wall that is part of the walled garden at the front of the house. One is oriented northwest/southeast, the other northeast/southwest. This northwest corner of the walled garden also has a circular building incorporated into the wall, shown on the 1st and 2nd edition OS map. Within the walled garden is a table sundial, comprising of a baluster shaft and metal plate inscribed 'IK HI 1722'. There is a rectangular lean-to dovecot to the north of the mansion, which is typical of a 17th-18th century date and design. It is roofless, ruinous and has crowstepped flanks, Its datestone lies on the ground at its base, however the date is illegible. There is a pond to the east of the Mansion. On the 1st edition OS map a pond is shown, smaller than the pond that is presently there. On the 2nd edition OS map, the area is described as a well. An area of designed landscape lies to the north of the house.

Period Notes
Previous mansion is built at an unknown date, but includes various 17th and 18th century dated stones. The dovecot is typical of a 17th - 18th century date. The sundial is dated 1722. The 19th century 1st and 2nd edition OS maps show changes to the pond. The present mansion house was built in 1908, on the site of the earlier mansion. The mansion, sundial and dovecot were listed on 11/06/1971.

, (Photograph). SAB24958.

Warden, A J, 1880-5, [Untitled], Vol.2, 415-18 (Bibliographic reference). SAB10135.

Record last edited

Oct 17 2025 11:26AM