Hailes House, Hailes Avenue, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Sir James Clerk of Penicuik, circa 1760 with later alterations. Exposed basement, 2-storey and attic, 3-bay Palladian villa with later 2-storey wing to W elevation. Prominent wallhead stacks to side elevations with scrolled shoulders and blind oculi; later library wing to E comprising timber panelled 1st floor over stone basement; 3-storey canted bay to S. Squared, coursed, sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings; squared random rubble and droved ashlar dressings to W wing. Base course, string course between 1st floor and basement; eaves cornice. Long and short quoins, ashlar window margins; droved ashlar quoins to W wing windows. Later steep piended roof with flat-roofed dormers.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central 2-leaf half-glazed timber door; fanlight with gothic-arched glazing pattern; roll-moulded architrave with consoled cornice; perron stair with barley-twist cast-iron railings. Regularly fenestrated; later canted bay above door; principal floor windows with roll moulded corniced architraves; central bipartite dormer to attic flanked by canted dormers.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: advanced 2-storey library wing; 2 timber boarded doors at ground to centre; flanking windows. Timber panelled main floor, slightly jettied out, with deeper bracketed over-hang to left.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: main house, 3 bays; 3-storey canted bay to right; droved ashlar stonework at ground; arched doorway with prominent keystone. Later tripartite mullioned window at top floor to left; regular fenestration elsewhere. Later central pedimented gable to attic at centre; flanking canted dormers. Library wing to outer right; canted bay with flanking windows corbelled out at first floor; glazed door at ground. Long irregularly fenestrated 2-storey wing to outer left.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: irregularly fenestrated. Flat-roofed single-storey outshot at ground; long wing extended from right.

N elevation of wing: central door, small lean-to outshot with coped skews to left of door; irregular fenestration. Gablehead stack to W.

Predominantly 12- and 9-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. 6-pane glazing in timber casements to dormers. Red tiles to roof of main house; graded grey slate to W wing.

INTERIOR: half-glazed timber panelled lobby door with border-glazing. Entrance hall with decorative cornicing, 2 eliptical arches and fireplace with marble chimney piece carved with swagged flowers and cast-iron grated. Curved cantilevered staircase with later barley-twist cast-iron balusters and timber handrail. Former drawing room with canted window and bowed alcove; Adam-style grotesque plasterwork to ceiling with 2 tablets containing classical scenes; marble fireplace with Doric pilasters and decorative cast-iron jambs; decorative cornice. Former library with decorative plasterwork to partly sloping ceiling; decorative cornice; original fireplace. Front room with carved timber chimneypiece and large cast-iron grate. Timber panelled doors throughout; some original brass door furniture; decorative cornices to principal rooms.

Statement of Interest

Despite the several alterations, and the loss of its garden, Hailes House is of considerable importance, as it is one of only four buildings known to have been designed by the amateur gentleman architect, Sir James Clerk of Penicuik (see Colvin for details). It was built for James Carmichael Esq. and a signed plan of the house inscribed to him survives in the NMRS, although there is unfortunately no corresponding elevation.

Sir James Clerk was the son of Sir John Clerk, Scotland?s chief arbiter of taste in the second quarter of the eighteenth century, and a prominent figure of intellectual society in Edinburgh. Sir John took a particular interest in architecture, and amongst his circle of friends were William Adam and the artist Allan Ramsay. Like his father Sir James was a competent amateur architect. The detailing of the wallhead chimney stacks shows the influence of William Adam's design for Mavisbank, which was built by Sir John Clerk. Only the villa and stable block of the Hailes estate survive, most of the garden was built over in the 1930s. The original layout is shown on early OS maps. At the junction of Lanark road and what is now Hailes Avenue stood a gate lodge. To the SW of the house (roughly in the garden of 10 Hailes Grove) was an icehouse. To the west of the house were glasshouses, in what was probably a walled garden. The rest of the grounds were planted fairly informally with trees, and the drive to the entrance was meandering. During the late 19th century alterations and additions were made to the house, including the addition of the library wing, a new roof, and the installation of new windows. The former stable block was converted to a house in the 1940s and is not listed. During the twentieth century Hailes House has been used as a Youth Hostel and a hotel, and a number of additions were made to the S. These have been removed by the present owners, who have carried out some restoration work and now use it as an office.

External Links

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