Castruse House

Detached four-bay two-storey house, built c. 1790, with single-storey return. Pitched slate roof, catslide to return, yellow brick corniced chimneystacks with clay pots to gables and centre left, cast-iron rainwater goods. Painted smooth rendered walls. Square-headed window openings over painted cut stone sills, timber framed tripartite windows with central six-over-six hornless sash windows and fixed frame sidelights to front retaining original glass and frames, also six-over-six hornless sash windows and a fixed frame quartered window with nine lights to a quarter and a one top hung outward opening quarter. Segmental-arch headed door opening, with cornice lintel and fanlight over fluted consoles, panelled pilasters and sandstone step, painted panelled door, working bell pull. Iron ceiling roses to interior; hatch in kitchen ceiling to former maid’s quarters above; stone flagged kitchen floor; original wooden staircase and floorboards. Set within own grounds with garden to front entered through wrought-iron double gate with painted rendered capped piers with projecting plinths and painted rendered wall. Multiple-bay two-storey outbuilding to north with pitched slate roof, cast-iron rainwater goods, rubble stone walls with remnant limewash, external stone steps with iron railings to first floor. Square-headed window openings with flat red brick arches with cast-iron framed casement windows. Square-headed door openings with flat red brick arches, and round-headed carriageway opening with red brick arch over, timber matchboard doors.

According to local information, this house was built in 1792 incorporating parts of an earlier house built by the same Presbyterian family. The earlier house is evident beneath the plaster of an internal wall where the original gable can still be seen. Well proportioned, but almost vernacular in its simplicity, it is given a special character by its tripartite or Wyatt windows and good doorcase. Together with its nineteenth century outbuilding to the rear it gives a good insight into the lives of the more prosperous farming community of the area.