Blairvadach, Shore Road, Shandon, Rhu, Argyll and Bute

Description

J T Rochead, circa 1850. 2-storey and attic, rectangular-plan,

Scots Baronial house with square keep. Stugged, squared and snecked, honey-coloured sandstone with ashlar margns and dressings. Stop-chamfered reveals; base course; string course; triangular pedimented dormerheads; crowstepped gables.

SE ELEVATION: asymmetrical, 2-bay entrance block advanced to left with 3-bay main body of house recessed behind; kitchen area recessed to outer right. Porch entrance to outer left; slightly-advanced with rounded corners. Annulets adorning colonettes supporting broken pediment on heavy brackets and pendant corbels; rope moulded string course between brackets; roll-moulding with ribbon-lacing around door and doorpiece; gun-loop openings flanking door. Pedimented square panel framed by colonettes breaks through open pediment. Shoulder-

arched doorway; 2-leaf wooden door with cast-iron hinges. 2-storey, crowstepped gabled block to right, rounded corner corbelled to square above string course. Window at ground with rope moulding string course stepping to form hoodmould, continuing as roll-moulded, string course along right return. Narrow, blind window at 1st floor; arrowslit at gablehead. Tall window on right return with pedimented, dormerheaded window above and narrow lancet to outer right. Main house recessed,

pepperpot bartizan to outer left, pedimented dormerheaded window at penultimate bay to left, window at 1st floor left; broad, gabled bay to outer right; ashlar, transomed and mullioned window at ground, door at 1st floor. Lower battlemented block, raised to pediment at centre, to outer right; window at ground and 1st floor; modern fire escape in front of 2 outer right bays. Modern, flat-roofed, cement-rendered boiler-house built in re-entrant angle.

SW ELEVATION: 4 asymmetrical bays with left return of porch to outer right. Rope-moulded string course, stepping for hoodmoulds and ending with knot label stop unites porch with 3 right bays. 3-storey keep with balustraded parapet to outer left, heavy machicolation; curved corners corbelled to square above 1st floor. 2-storey, canted bay window against SW elevation of keep; battered base; cast- iron strapwork window guard supported on decorative consoles below 1st floor window; modillion cornice; attic window of keep above. 2 lower bays to

right with pedimented dormerheaded windows, floral and thistle finials, tripartite window at ground with narrow window at ground right. Taller, crowstepped gabled bay to right; flanking bartizans, fish-scale slate roof, lead finials; window at centre of gablehead united with bartizans by hoodmould. Corbelled, bowed oriel at 1st floor, window at ground. Left return of porch to outer right, advanced beyond wall-plane. Battlemented parapet stepped for pediment at centre; tall window at centre, arrowloop to left.

NW ELEVATION: 5 asymmetrical bays, keep to outer right, link-block at penulitmate bay to right and 3 bay wing to left. Canted oriel at centre 1st floor, cobelled from chamfered centre shaft at ground; flanking windows at ground, single window at 3rd stage of tower. Lower link-bay to left, dormerheaded window at 1st floor; unsympathetic modern build at ground. Circular stair tower rises behind bay abutting onto SE corner of keep; ribbed ogival lead dome, ball finial, blind upper windows and string course. taller 3-bay block to outer left. Broad, crowstepped gable to outer left, tripartite window at principal

floor, loop-traceried rose window at gablehead, hoodmould. 2 bays to left, bargeboarded dormers, door to left and tripartite window to right at principal floor. Ground floor altered, modern firescape runs fron higher ground at left along principal floor level.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: asymmetrical, 2-bay main block of house with wing extending to outer right; single storey service wing occupies entire re-entrant angle. Modern additions built onto NE end of wing. Broad, tall crowstepped gable of main house to outer left, windows symmetrically disposed at 1st, 2nd floor, apex stack; lower block to right; round-headed stair window, gable over to right of centre; ashlar reticulated tracery (protected by secondary glazing). 3-bay asymmetrical return of wing to right. Broad crowstepped gable to outer right; triaprtite window at 1st floor, loop-traceried rose window at gablehead; modern square stack rising from flat-roofed boiler-house at

ground obscures outer right of gable. Bay to left, bargeboarded

dormer at centre, window at ground and 1st floor to right. Advanced, crowstepped gabled bay to left, abutts uneasily onto main body of house; flat-roofed block of kitchen wing extends to SE; window at 1st floor, small window at gablehead. NE elevation of wing, shouldered wallhead stack at centre, modern door to left with fire escape. Wall of service block at re-entrant angle, battlemented at outer left, half-piend roofed addition advanced to outer left.

Plate glass and horizontal-pane sash and case windows; some modern glazing. Grey slate roof, crowstepped gables, shaped skewputts. Broad, coped wallhead stacks, circular cans.

INTERIOR: predominantly Jacobean decoration. Elaborate panelled entrance hall with panelled ceiling, carved, arched hall-screen; delicately detailed Jacobethan chimney-piece. Plain oak stair; vaulted ceiling; hexagonal, geometric, leaded panes to 4-light Gothic traceried stair window.

TERRACE: ashlar terrace wall to SW of house. Squat, bulbous urn balustrade with saddle-back coping. Stone steps down to garden off-centre to right though terrace. Squat, heaxagonal, open 'watch-tower' at NW end of wall; door at SE side flanked by gun-slits; battered coping.

LAUNDRY: located to rear NE of house. Single storey and attic, gabled, rectangular-plan, en-suite cement-rendered laundry block with circular, stair tower at SE. Base course, crowstepped gabled dormerheads. Tower with tapering cill arrowslits. Eaves moulding.

NE ELEVATION: 2 asymmetrical bays; dormerheaded windows symmetrically disposed; window and door to left, 2 windows to outer right at ground, rubble exposed showing metal beam above windows, relieving arch.

SE ELEVATION: gable with circular 2-stage tower to left with advanced wallhead at centre.

SW ELEVATION: 2-bay with stair tower to right. Tall, coped and harled wall enclosing area forming small court, raised as half crowstepped gable at outer right. Stone steps to door at 1st floor at tower, moulded string course stepped as hoodmould over top arrrowslit.

8-pane sash and case windows, only one remaining, other replacement or blocked. Grey slate roof, wallhead and apex stack.

OUTBUILDING: single storey, long rectangular-plan block to NNE of house. Brick with cement render, polished, chamfered sandstone margins. 4 bays, segmental-headed arch, window and door to right, window to left. Blocked windows, grey slate roof with ventilators.

Statement of Interest

Blairvadach House was designed by the architect J T Rochead circa 1850 for Sir James Anderson, Lord Provost of Glasgow (1848-51). The house subsequently passed onto the Donaldsons of shipping fame. The house is now used as a childrens home which accounts for the various fire escapes and outhouse additions at rear and at NW.

External Links

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