Description

William Burn, 1838, enlarged by David Bryce 1846 and 1847. 2 storey, rambling-plan, asymmetrical gabled villa. Rubble with polished sandstone dressings and margins. Base course; quoin strips; projecting eaves, exposed rafters; varying roof levels. Gabled dormerheads.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 6 asymmetrical bays. 3-bay main block to left with lower rambling-plan service wing to right. Advanced, full-height canted bay, cavetto swept to gable, to outer left; narrow recessed bay and slightly advanced gabled bay to right; broad gabled porch at ground slightly off-centre to left with window above at 1st floor. 2-leaf, half-glazed door with large, rectangular, plate glass fanlight; window at right and left returns. Massy, Baroque, sandstone doorpiece to vestibule, swan-neck pediment with decorative escutcheon with shell motif supported on heavy consoles. Windows symmetrically disposed

in narrow bay, dormerheaded window above. Lower, L-plan service wing to right. 2-bay recessed block to right of entrance bay, narrow bay to left; boarded door with letter-box fanlight to right, dormerheaded window above. Advanced gabled bay to right; circular tower corbelled to square and gabled at 1st floor set in re-entrant angle; window with fire-proof glass at ground to right, narrow window under eaves and single window at gablehead. Blank wall of gabled bay to right. Broad gable with windows symmetrically disposed; lower, narrower, slightly-

recessed bay to outer right, tall window at ground with dormerheaded window above.

W ELEVATION: 5 symmetrical bays. Gently bowed block at centre, 3 windows symmetrically disposed. Flanking, advanced, full-height canted bays, cavetto swept to gable. Projecting, square bay at centre ground of left return, tripartite window, flue of wallhead stack rises above; gabled dormerheaded window to left. 3 bays of N wing recessed to left. Broad gable to outer left, bipartite window at ground, single window at 1st floor. 2 bays to right with gabled dormerheaded windows, bay to right narrower.

S ELEVATION: 3 asymmetrical bays. Square bay at ground outer left, tripartite window; flue and wallhead stack above. Gabled dormerheaded window to right with broad gable to outer right. Modern, rendered flat-roofed extension projecting at outer right. Raggle of gable of former conservatory to outer right; remains of plinth and Minton tiles.

N ELEVATION: cement-rendered gabled elevation, formerly joined to service wing, now truncated. Modern forestair to outer left; asymmetrical M-gable to outer right, door at ground, window above.

6-pane and 4-pane sash and case windows; some replacement plate glass sash and case. Grey slate roof with lead flashings; Many tall corniced stacks on pedestal bases at wallhead and ridge.

INTERIOR: plain egg and dart and anthemion cornices; rectangular, pitched skylight over hallway. Plain staircase. Rooms sub-divided for modern offices.

OUTBUILDINGS: single storey block to NE opposite house and originally joined to main house. Rubble with stugged, sandstone margins and dressings. 3 bays to W elevation, door off-centre to right, window to right, segmental archway blocked as window to outer left; modern brick on right return.

Statement of Interest

Ardarroch was built for John McVicar, a Glasgow merchant and possibly a relative of Burn. In 1846 Bryce carried out alterations and additions and in 1847 designed the conservatory (now demolished). The house originally has a wing at the N end joining with the single storey outbuilding to the NE. The house is now the office of BP Oil Ltd Finnart Ocean Terminal. Ardarroch E lodge is listed separately. Finnart House, to the E across the road from Ardarroch, also had Burn and Bryce as architects and is of similar design. Finnart House is listed separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17774104

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

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Liverpool: Pevsner City Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)