Description

Early 19th century. 3-storey, 3-bay, Classical, rectangular-plan block with flanking single storey, advanced, pedimented pavilions. Painted stucco with painted ashlar margins and dressings. Base course, eaves cornice and band, quoin strips; 1st floor cill course. Balustraded parapet with urns. Corinthian pilaster architraves for 1st floor windows.

SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3-bay symmetrical block; bay at centre slightly advanced; segmental-headed tripartite door, blind fanlight (now painted 'Tea Room'). Tripartite window at 1st floor, small window directly under eaves. Flanking bays; single window in recessed round-headed panel at ground, window at 1st floor, smaller window directly under eaves. Advanced, open- pedimented, pavilion, arch panel with keystone; blind window at centre with segmental detail above.

Pavilion to left with bipartite in round-headed recess.

SE ELEVATION: 4-bay single storey and attic block with recessed, modern, conservatory link-block to former long parallel stable range to outer right. single storey, cottage outbuilding range to NE. Full-height, round- arched entrance framed by Doric columns; modern, truncated door. Flanking symmetrical bays, window at ground, margined panel above; triangular dormerheads. Bay to outer right, door and window at ground, window at centre at upper floor. Glazed, lean-to

modern conservatory linking main hotel with modernised stable block. Pedimented gable of former stable advanced to right, recessed, round-arched panel, string course, modern barred window at centre ground. Cottage, outbuilding block to right.

NW ELEVATION: 3-bay pavilion to right, later canted porch entrance with centre window and side-lights advanced at ground to right, boraded door to left, modern flat-roofed extension to outer left; windows symmetrically disposed at 1st floor. Blank link wall to left; pedimented, gable of former stable to outer left, recessed, blind, round-headed panel.

Plate glass sash and case windows, 12-pane sash and case for ground floor of right pavilion; replacement tilt and turn 2nd floor windows. Grey slate piend and platform roof; rendered, coped ridge stacks.

INTERIOR: main stair hall with narrow winding stair, modern cast-iron balusters, wooden handrail. Gently covex cabinet recess at half-landing. Much of the rest of hotel interior modernised, modern bars to left and right with exposed timber ceilings, rear of hotel completely modernised.

FORMER STABLE BLOCK: rectangular-plan, long range aligned NW-SE. Painted rubble, symmetrical gables, recessed round-headed panel with modern window to SE, blank to NW. Blank elevation to SW.

NE ELEVATION: rubble with cement render, sandstone margins; 5 bays. Segmental headed coach arch at centre, large window above; 2 bays to left, 2 asymmetrical bays to right. Enlarged window openings, replacement fixed pane and top-hopper windows. Grey slate roof, ashlar coping to skews.

COTTAGE OUTBUILDINGS: former L-plan cottage/outbuilding range. Single storey, painted, harled flormer cottage block. Aligned NW-SE parallel to former stable block to NE. Altered and blocked openings.

SW ELEVATION: 4 bays, blocked and altered openings; lean-to projecting block to outer left.

NE ELEVATION: blank expanse of wall to left; 5 asymmetrical bays to right.

Grey slate roof; corniced, sandstone wallhead and ridge stacks; NW stack with stepped concrete addition.

BOUNDARY WALL: rubble wall with semi-circular coping bounds area of hotel on Torwoodhill Road elevation sweeping down to low wall at entrance; wall sweeps in towards entrance, curves round SE side.

Statement of Interest

Ardencaple Hotel was built in the early 19th century by the Dukes of Argyll as a posting inn on the road between Glasgow and Inveraray. It holds a prominent position on the road between Helensburgh and Rhu.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Ardencaple Hotel Including Former Stables, Rhu Road Lower, Rhu official website
• Wikidata Q638862

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)