Details |
Villa, dated 1902, part of the former Sunnyside Hospital complex (NO76SW0063), which ceased to be used as a hospital site in 2012. Three-storey, 5-bay, irregular-plan, crow-stepped villa with distinctive ogee arch detailing around the windows, built with pinned and coursed rubble with ashlar margins and a base course. The entrance porch is in the re-entrant angle to the west with segmental-arched openings. The symmetrical south elevation has three central bays with pairs of large, 3-light segmental-arched window openings to the ground floor, stone transoms and mullions. The window openings above are set in full-height, recessed, moulded ogee arches, crow-stepped gableheads above, with a carved date above the central window at the first floor. There are a variety of decorative mouldings above the window openings. The flanking end bays are slightly advanced with parapetted 5-light canted bay windows to the ground floor, with paired windows above within large, ogee-arched recesses.
The west entrance elevation is 7-bay, with an advanced 2-bay crow-stepped bay with windows set in recessed, moulded, full-height ogee arches to the left, and a further advanced, 2-bay lower section to the far left. A parapetted single-storey entrance porch in the re-entrant angle with segmental-arches and a tiled floor, with a wide round-arched inner doorway with a panelled timber entrance door and fanlight above.
The east elevation is 5-bay, with an advanced crow-stepped gabled bay to the left with a parapetted 5-light canted bay window to the ground floor.
Predominantly single-pane or 4-pane timber sash and case windows. The slated roof has red ridge tiles, cast-iron rainwater goods and decorative ridge ventilators.
The interior (seen 2012) has the original room layout largely remaining. A fine, timber staircase is in the entrance hall, with carved timber balusters and handrail, Doric columns with segmental arches and a timber and mirrored fire surround. Other rooms have timber panelling, segmental-arched recesses and decorative cornice work to the ceiling.
In 1897, Dr John Sibbald recommended moving patients away from the large single hospital unit, to smaller, villas type accommodation. North Esk villa was built shortly afterwards to house female patients. It is a distinctive and well-detailed villa with good external decoration and interesting ogee-arch detailing. Internally, the public areas of the villa retain some fine decorative features. It is the only one of three former villas to survive and is an important part of the wider hospital complex adding significantly to the understanding of the overall function of the hospital.
Sunnyside Asylum developed in the 19th century as a replacement for the first lunatic asylum in Scotland at Montrose. The former hospital consisted of a related group of buildings, informally set in a semi-parkland setting on a hillside overlooking Montrose. The site is significant in remaining largely intact and retaining the integrity of a self-contained psychiatric hospital.
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