Description

Earlier nineteenth century, incorporating earlier fabric. 2-storey, 3-bay, gabled farmhouse with lower wings to N and S and flanking byre ranges forming U-plan courtyard to E (front). Random sandstone and whinstone rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings; squared, coursed, pinned rubble to front elevation of house. Raised base course, eaves course, quoin strips and window margins to front of house; raised margins to S byre.

HOUSE AND WINGS: 2-leaf non-traditional uPVC front door in roll-moulded ashlar architrave. Regular fenestration; slight relieving arches over ground-floor windows. Lower, probably earlier, 2-storey 2-bay wing to S (outer left) with 2 doors at ground, and single window at 1st floor. Single storey 2-bay wing to N (outer right) with door and narrow window. Irregular fenestration to rear with predominantly mid-20th century windows at ground. Lean-to outshot adjoining 2-storey wing.

Predominantly 4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; 12-pane glazing to 1st floor of S wing. Some non-traditional glazing to rear. Corniced, rendered stacks; some yellow clay cans. Ashlar-coped skews. Graded grey slate.

INTERIOR: decorative cornice in drawing room. Some timber panelled interior doors. Staircase balusters possibly boarded over.

S BYRE: early 19th century, possibly incorporating 18th century fabric. Pigeon loft, later doorway and ashlar-coped skews to E gable. Later lean-to addition to N. Corrugated iron roof. Roof piended to W.

N BYRE: probably earlier-mid 19th century. Random rubble; slate roof; gable to E with later entrance; piended roof to W; possibly earlier section extending to W; lean-to additions to N and S.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATES AND GATEPIERS: coped random rubble boundary walls to E, S and W. High random rubble garden wall extending W from S byre with gateway enclosing court to front. Handsome corniced gatepiers to E of house with wrought-iron gate. Sandstone gatepiers with simple wrought-iron gate to W wall of garden.

Statement of Interest

A good, and relatively unspoilt example of the 2-storey, 3-bay Ayrshire farmhouse, occupying a prominent position on Aiket Road. Loanhead farm changed hands in 1829, so it is likely that the current house was built soon after that date. The farm itself, however, is much older, and is shown on Roy's Military Map of 1747, marked as 'Lonehead'. The 2-storey section adjoining the South gable of the main house may be the remains of an earlier house (probably circa 1800). This is substantiated by the position of the East gatepiers, which one would expect to be opposite the front door of the main house, but which are actually more in line with this lower wing. The South byre is probably contemporary with this wing. The North byre, which has a much deeper plan, is probably contemporary, or even slightly later than the main house.

Loanhead's proximity to Aiket Castle has given rise to the assumption that it was the home farm for the castle. This does not appear to have been the case. According to a history of the Dunlop family (see References), Loanhead belonged, in the mid-18th century to James Dunlop, second son of John Dunlop of Borland. It is not clear whether James Dunlop inherited Loanhead from his father (which would make it originally part of the Borland estate), or from another relation, or whether he bought it. It was James Dunlop's son, also James, who sold Loanhead in 1829.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17815055

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
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  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
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