Building record MAB6576 - PITGAVENY HOUSE

Mansion house, built in 1776 on, or near, the site of an earlier house or manor, with later additions.

Mansion house, built in 1776 on, or near, the site of an earlier house or manor, with later additions. Pitgaveny was once part of lands of Bishopric of Moray, passing later to the Brodies of Lethen. It was purchased in circa 1765 by James Brander. Pitgaveny was inherited in 1854 by James Brander's grand-daughter, Mrs Brander Dunbar, who initiated the later building additions. In 1991-3, Law and Dunbar-Nasmith Partnership removed many of these additions to return the house to its original appearance. It is a tall, 3-storey mansion over a basement, with a symmetrical 5-bay pedimented southwest front that has a later porch. The rear wing was added in 1870. The house is constructed with a pinned ashlar frontage, coursed rubble flanks and polished ashlar dressings. The original centre entrance was masked by substantial single 3-bay porch with side entrance, said to be 1868, and it was demolished in 1991-3. The frontage is regular, with slightly advanced and pedimented centre 3-bay fenestration to return elevations with some blind windows. There are long first floor windows, and 9-, 12- and 15-pane glazing is used throughout. There are rusticated quoins, a blind oculus in the pediment, a corniced blocking course encircles the wallhead with angle ball finials, some of which are missing, tall coped panelled end wallhead stacks and a double piended slate roof. A substantial 2-storey, wide 2-bay rear wing was added in 1870. It is constructed from coursed rubble, with ashlar dressings, regular fenestration with 12-pane glazing, quoins, hipped and corniced end stacks and a piended slate roof. The rear wing is linked to the main house by single bay block with a ground floor service portico. The rear wing had been heightened to four storeys by Charles Doug in 1912. The additional storeys were removed in 1991-3, along with a large annexe in the re-entrant angle between the house and wing. A datestone has the initials JB, for James Brander. There is a pair of square rusticated ashlar gatepiers from circa 1776 with a moulded cornice and ball finials, which are flanking the former entrance at the West of the house. No gates survive. Inside, the entrance hall was enlarged in circa 1870 by linking the former entrance with the southeast ground floor room. In the stairwell, there is a cantilevered stone staircase with a moulded lip to risers and plain wooden balusters, as well as plaster balusters and a plaster ceiling with a swagged frieze and central tondo. The dining room has a carved white marble chimneypiece with marble slips, a circa 1870 cast-iron grate and a dado rail. The drawing room is on the first floor. It has a high ceiling with a bracketed corniced anthemion frieze, a dado rail, with fielded panelled doors and window shutters throughout. There is also an 18th century circular dovecote (NJ26NW0012) and a crow stepped farm steading associated with the house.

Period Notes
Current manor house built 1776 on, or near, the site of an earlier house or manor. There were substantial additions in circa 1870, and some in 1912. Many of these additions were demolished or altered, as well as general restoration work done, in 1991-3. Listed designation given on 26/01/1971.

WATSON, J, 1868, MORAYSHIRE DESCRIBED, 115-6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2003.

BOGDAN, NQ, 1991, Castles, Manors & Town House survey, p.37 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2251.

site of manor

Jul 5 1989 , AAS/89/03/CT15, AAS/89/03/CT15 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32142.

Jul 5 1989 , AAS/89/03/S4/11-5, AAS/89/03/S4/11-5 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB30509.

Jul 5 1989 , AAS/89/03/S5/1, AAS/89/03/S5/1 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB32112.

Jul 11 1992 , LB 20-26, LB 20-26 (Ground Photograph). SAB33871.

Jun 24 1999 , AAS/99/07/CT14, AAS/99/07/CT14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB31463.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, No6 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Record last edited

Sep 14 2022 12:13PM