Moray HER - NJ05NW0056 - MOY HOUSE, FORRES

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ05NW0056
NameMOY HOUSE, FORRES
NRHE Card No.NJ05NW85
NRHE Numlink 75141
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. 2275
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Incomplete
Details Remains of mansion house and site of the early manor from various dates, but the centre block was constructed in 1762-3. It is a large, plain, 3 storey mid-18th century classical mansion, with east and west 5 bay elevations, and a pavilion roof above a cornice. This flanks early-mid 18th century lower 3-storey wings that project at the east, forming a U-plan court. These wings may be a part of a house built in 1752 by Collen Williamson that was knocked down for the 1762-3 construction. The lower 3 storey wings are thought to have been built by Collen Williamson of Dyke in circa 1750. The current structure was erected by Sir Ludovic Grant of Grant upon the base of its 17th century predecessor, which was knocked down for £5. Both John and Robert Adam produced plans for the new house, but Sir Ludovic rejected Robert's plan of 1759 and employed Collen Williamson of Dyke to finalise the plans prepared by John in 1762 and rebuild the central block. There are further irregular 2-storey gabled ranged to the north and south built in 1870 by Alexander Ross. The west elevation of the centre block is in cherry pointed squared and tooled ashlar, with simulated cherry pointing over the harled rubble to the raised basement. All of the other elevations are in harled rubble, except for the 1870 work that is tooled rubble, with tooled and polished ashlar dressings. The second storey is low, with small windows to both portions of the 18th century mansion. 6-, 9-, 12- and 15-pane glazing is used, with some thick astragals and some blind windows. There have been some 2-pane replacements in the frontage. There are flat skews with a moulded underside and run-off skewputts to the earlier wings, and moulded eaves cornice to the 1762-3 centre block. There are coped and necked end and wallhead stacks to the earlier wings, and corniced twin ridge stacks to the centre block. Gabled and piended slate roofs were used. The west front features a porticoed, and a round headed entrance to the narrow recessed centre bay, which is approached via a flight of steps oversailing the raised basement below. The entrance is flanked by sidelights, with engaged Roman Doric columns supporting a cornice. A Venetian landing window sits above, framed by Ionic columns and a deep moulded entablature. A mask sits in the keystone. The east front is 3-storey, with a 5-bay frontage and 3-bay advanced flanking wings that are from 1752 or earlier. It features a round headed entrance to the centre of the raised basement, framed by a corniced doorpiece and thin engaged Ionic columns. A long window that was possibly lengthened sits above, at a first floor level. To either side are 3-bay advanced flanking wings, each with a blocked entrance in the re-entrant angle. There was a gabled and slated roof. The earlier wings terminate in symmetrical 2-window return gables, and each have a blocked entrance in the re-entrant angle. The service court to the south is flanked by a pair of rusticated ashlar gatepiers once topped by ball finials but now lost. It is linked at the south to a 2-storey service range with a 3-bay south front. A forestair to the east leads to the first floor dwelling, with a round headed entrance that is flanked by lights. The interior of the main house has a cantilevered stone staircase with moulded risers and underside, there are decorative cast-iron balusters. The stairhall ceiling is moulded. The former dining room has a centre door from the landing, with a corniced overdoor to the landing, and pedimented overdoor to the room. There are fielded panelled doors and window shutters, and a carved overmantel with a modern grate. The former drawing room has an ornate plaster centre ceiling rose and moulded cornice. There are fielded panelled doors with moulded surrounds, and a carved wooden overmantel with an original grate that has a marble slip and black enamel surround with brass insets that have portraits of the Prince of Wales and possibly King George III. There is a panelled dado. The second floor centre bedroom has a heavy lugged doorpiece to the half landing. In the raised basement, there are two vaulted wine cellars. In the ground floor southwest room, formally the low dining room, there is a guilloche moulded ceiling cornice and fielded panelling to other doors and window shutters. The west entrance has a pair of square rusticated ashlar gatepiers with moulded cornices supporting ball finials. It was reported in 1988 that the northwest wing was nearing collapse, and in 1990 it was noted that subsidence was affecting one of the wings. Roofing work was carried out in 1991, but in August 1995 the interior of the house was devastated by fire. The house is now in a poor state of repair since the fire. An external inspection in 2015 found the site to be very overgrown, as it has been since 2012, and there is no roof seen on recent maps and images. There is an ice house to the south (NJ05NW0159), and the site of the old parish church and burial ground nearby to the southwest (NJ05NW0025). The entrance at the east side of the house is of importance as it served the approach by ferry over the River Findhorn at Broom of Moy, from where all travellers from the east would have crossed and approached the house. The river was bridged in 1799-1800, and from then carriage traffic could cross the river and would therefore use the west approach to the house. Affiliated stables and carriage houses are found to the north (NJ06SW0077).
Last Update03/11/2022
Updated Bycpalmer
Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NJ05NW0056

National Grid Reference: NJ 0151 5996



Event Details


Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
ROOFSPAVILION D100
COLUMNS ROMAN-DORICP100
COLUMNS ENGAGEDP100
WINDOWS VENETIANR100
COLUMNS IONICQ100
ENTABLATURES MOULDEDS100
KEYSTONES MASKEDT100
DOORPIECES CORNICEDU100
ENTRANCES BLOCKEDV100
GATEPIERSASHLARRUSTICATEDW100
FINIALSBALL X100
STAIRCASESSTONECANTILEVEREDY100
BALUSTERSCAST-IRON Z100
DADOS PANELLEDAA100
CORNICES MOULDEDE100
BASEMENTSRAISED G100
WINGS  F100
DRESSINGSASHLARTOOLEDH100
ASTRAGALS  I100
WINDOWS BLINDJ100
SKEWPUTTS  K100
STACKSWALLHEADCOPEDL100
STACKSRIDGECORNICEDM100
ROOFSSLATEPIENDEDN100
ENTRANCES PORTICOEDO100
MANSIONS REMAINS OFB100
MANORS SITE OFA95
GATEPIERS  C100