Dundee, Broughty Ferry, 26 Victoria Road, Aystree
Villa (20th Century)
Site Name Dundee, Broughty Ferry, 26 Victoria Road, Aystree
Classification Villa (20th Century)
Canmore ID 184136
Site Number NO43SE 108
NGR NO 45494 31375
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/184136
- Council Dundee, City Of
- Parish Dundee (Dundee, City Of)
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District City Of Dundee
- Former County Angus
Aystree was designed in 1093 by Charles Ower and Charles Soutar of Dundee for Colonel T H Smith. Although the drawings are signed by both architects Sonya MacAngus, in her unpublished thesis for St Andrews University 'William Gillespie Lamond and Charles G Soutar, Free Style Architecture in Dundee, circa 1900-1910', attributes the design stylistically to Soutar.
The house retains its extremely high quality fixtures and fittings throughout the principal rooms. They all appear to have been supplied by Liberty of London and are particularly rare in Scotland. These include the stamped lock plates in the dining room, library and hall, and a number of Liberty design decorative friezes throughout. The fittings in the dining room are of particular note as an example of the best quality Liberty style with a fitted sideboard, elaborate panelling and inglenook fireplace with beaten copper fire hood. A door off the dining room leads to the conservatory which although in a poor state retains much of its original structure. It was supplied by Mackenzie and Moncur and illustrated in their catalogue held at RCAHMS. The library retains all its fitted bookcases and although the drawing room has had a screen fitted across it, it retains an elaborate inglenook fireplace and white lacquered panelling with silk panels. Although the kitchen has been radically altered two pantries with fitted cupboards survive along with a ceramic shelved larder. The cellar retains part of the original boiler and one of the individual zinc coalbunkers from when the house was in multiple occupation. The first floor bedrooms remain largely unaltered and in the attic there is the original billiard room and what appears to have been a playroom that has since been subdivided.
Information from RCAHMS (STG), 2008
NO43SE 108.00 45494 31375
NO43SE 108.01 45501 31356 conservatory
NO43SE 108.02 45475 31300 lodge; gates
Architect: Charles Ower & Charles G Souter
Photographic Record
Aystree was recorded prior to its subdivision and conversion into flats. The interior retains most of its original interior from 1903 despite having been used as a genteel boarding house for over sixty years. The conversion to a boarding house involved the addition flimsy partitions or screens providing some separation between living and sleeping accommodation. The site includes the original terraced garden with lodge house, coach house and stables. The stables or coach house cottage is the only part of the original property not in the ownership of the current developers.
Information from RCAHMS (STG), 2008
