Craig Tower, 1 Wellknowe Road, Thorntonhall, East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire

Description

1910. Edwardian villa in traditional Scots/late Arts and Crafts style with unique original interior scheme with Continental mosaic floor and ceiling decoration, presumably by Italian craftsmen. Single-storey, U-plan with entrance in long 6-bay W elevatin; N and S wings extending at right angles to rear enclosing drawing room at centre to E. Scots detail, white harled with red sandstone ashlar dressings; harled plinth, ashlar base course, harled crenellated parapet with ashlar cornice and cope; corbelled and balustered bartizan turrets at NW and SW angles; square bay at NW angle slightly taller, giving impression of tower. Mullioned and transomed windows and decoratively leaded glazing. Low, slated piend roofs to main block and wings. Polygonal coast-iron ridge vents with cupolas and finials over piend-roofed and drawing block.

ENTRANCE (W) ELEVATION: 6-bay. Taller 'tower' bay to left with partial balustraded parapet and angle bartizan with flag-staff. 5-light transomed projecting canted window to left of entrance and at right-hand end bay.

ENTRANCE: approached by flight of steps with coped wing walls with original tapered cast-iron lamp stands; lugged architraved ashlar doorpiece with clasping keyblock and cornice with ball finials

supported on vigorours moulded consoles; original bell-push. 2-leaf 3-panelled timber outer doors; glazed aesthetic movement inner door with stained glass main panel (see INTERIOR), curved at lower margin, panelling below curved at upper margin to give curved door transom; original cast-iron door furniture; leaded rectangular fanlight.

2 transomed bipartites to right of entrance. SW balustraded bartizan with elaborate wrought-iron weather-vane.

N ELEVATION: return elevation of tower with projecting single-storey crenellated bay at ground with transomed tripartite window; N wing recessed to left with 3 windows, 2 bipartite, one single with pair wallhead stacks.

S ELEVATION: large 5-light transomed window at E end bay, S wing, upper panes with elaborate heraldic motif leaded glazing with coloured glass, lower panes plate glass, except that to right which has leaded lattice-work; 2 single windows on opporsite S re-entrant elevation of N wing, that to left next to drawing room block with coloured etched/painged glass upper pane to right replaced.

DRAWING ROOM: piend-roofed square-plan enclosed by N and S wings to rear; 5-light mullions E window, upper panes decoratively leaded.

INTERIOR: original decorative scheme intact; combines Glasgow-style Art Nouveau with imported Italian craftsmanship. Main door: clear, coloured and painted glass framing main figurative stained-glass panel depicting a medieval knight in armour, crown glass border; fanlight with coloured glass swags and central heraldic panel surrounded by clear glass with crown glass border.

DRAWING ROOM: coved CEILING with elaborate Florentine-style mosaic; fine original gilt pendant chandelier at centre with winged cherubim motifs, a double centre pendant and lights suspended on gilt rings, shades made of long coloured glass beaded fringes; similar single lights in each corner of main ceiling. Dark mosaic cornice with continuos coloured swag motif; walls have lost original decoration.

FLOOR: also with patterned mosaic, Italian and Glasgow styles: floral outer border, circle at centre with floral/Glasgow-style stylised motifs at centre and thistle border. Ingleneuk with dado panelling and fitted seats; fire-place with tall timber Glasgow-style Art Nouveau chimney-piece, mannered pilasters rising through over-mental to cornice, consoled mantel shelf and bevelled over-mantel mirror flanked by sculptured panels; 2 tiny fringed lights suspended in ingleneuk.

BILLIARD ROOM: original table and centre lights; simple Art Nouveau timber chimney-piece with original tiled slip and elaborate vitreous enamelled slow-burning stove.

BATHROOM: Art Nouveau green and white-glazed tiling, half-height, with decorative tree-motif frieze mosaic floor. Original fittings including brass towel rack, twin basins in black and white marble setting and large basin with oval over-mirror cast-iron bath; original door furniture.

DINING ROOM: with classical timber chimneypiece with fluted Roman Ionic column stiles with exaggerated entasis and egg-and-dart moulding beneath cornice.

Statement of Interest

Built for Mr Roderick Scott, meat dealer.

External Links

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