Description

Circa 1820. 2-storey over raised basement, 3-bay symmetrical house

of double pile plan, with later 19th century wing projecting to rear, flanking laundry and stable pavilions, contemporary with main house. Smooth cement-render to principal front, harled sides, rear wing and pavilions. Raised margins and projecting cills to house windows, droved at rear and side elevations. 1st floor windows square.

S ELEVATION: 3-bay, with slightly advanced, wider, outer bays. Band course above basement and eaves course, ashlar margins. Sandstone ashlar stair with decorative cast-iron railings oversailing basement accessing semicircular recess at principal floor behind distyle screen of Tuscan columns and pilasters, flush with 1st floor. Entrance door centring recess with decorative rectangular fanlight above. Frieze and cornice above with blind balustrade serving as apron to 1st floor pilaster-flanked window.

W ELEVATION: 2-bay, symmetrical, with single window only at centre of 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: 2 bays to left of centre, with blind window to 1st floor bay to outer left, and single barred window at basement.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay, with centre bay obscured by rear wing and ground floor right bay by lean-to addition with door to left and small windows.

REAR WING: single storey and attic, connecting to 2-storey section, gabled to S. Single storey section with single window in W wall, double-height E wall with bipartite window at upper level. 2-storey section with single door to right of centre at N wall, accessing terrace, pend at ground floor to S. Single bipartite to 1st floor of

W elevation, 2-bay E elevation at 1st floor.

Timber sash and case windows, 4-pane to principal and side elevations of house, original 9-pane pattern at 1st floor of rear and E elevations, mixture of plate glass, 4, and 16-pane windows at rear wing. Grey slate, piended M-roof to main house. Piended roof to N end of wing, partially piended roof over single storey section, slate-hung, piend-roofed timber dormer window to W pitch. Cast-iron gutters and downpipes. 2 panelled ashlar stacks with margins at corners and octagonal cans to each ridge of M-roof. Rendered apex stack at wing gable, brick wallhead stack centring N elevation.

INTERIOR: mosaic floor to porch, most internal fittings surviving including marble chimneypieces, 6-panel doors and staircase with cast-iron balusters and timber handrail.

LAUNDRY (E) WING: harled, 3-bay symmetrical S elevation, segmental-arched recesses at ground floor with wide window openings, rectangular blind windows below eaves. Slightly recessed centre bay with entrance door at ground floor. Piended grey slate roof with piend-roofed, slate-hung timber dormers, with multi-pane sash and case windows, breaking eaves at bay to outer left and at centre of E and W elevation. Harled 3-flue stack centring ridge with decorative octagonal cans. Cast-iron gutters and downpipes.

STABLE (W) WING: matching laundry, except no dormer to S front, garage door inserted at 1st and 2nd bays, segmental cart arch at bay to outer right, and no stack or dormer to S front. Vertically-boarded 2-leaf timber doors with wrought-iron hinges to cart arch.

2-storey hen house and corn store to rear, connected by single storey dog kennel and pigsty. Hen house of random rubble and brick, doors to both levels centring N elevation, small window at ground floor to left and chamfered corner to right. Vertically-boarded timber doors and grey slate pitched roof. Roofless random rubble cow shed immediately to W.

BOUNDARY WALLS: random rubble, with matching pair of gates to High Askomil, stugged squared and snecked square ashlar gatepiers, corniced with domed caps and flanking quadrant walls. Cast and wrought-iron 2-leaf gates.

Statement of Interest

Bellgrove was built by John Mackersie (a builder in Campbeltown from 1809) for Captain Charles Campbell - at the time provost of the burgh. An extract from Evidence before the House of Lords concerning Harbour dues at Dalintober Quay refers to some of the stones for Campbell?s house being landed on the beach below the site and all the rest being landed on Dalintober Quay. This is a sophisticated house, perhaps with the influence of Robert Adam in the recessed porch and screen. The wings and outhouses are a rare survival, providing a fascinatingly complete group of buildings, laid out in Palladian form to service the occupants of the house.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17574299

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

• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)