Description

Later 18th century and early 19th century. Unusual and distinctive building combining late 18th century 2-storey, 3-bay, former farmhouse to N (30 Vennel Street) and adjoining, back-to-back with early 19th century, 2-storey, 3-bay rectangular-plan Classical villa to S (Braehead House).

30 VENNEL STREET: Symmetrical. Roughcast to N with painted margins. Cornice. Later gabled central entrance porch with glass and timber entrance door. Later gabled projecting extension to right. Gabled former byre to far right with 2 dovecot openings in gable.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey graded slates. Raised skews, ridge tiles, corniced gable stacks with decorative cans.

INTERIOR: (seen 2008). Original room plan largely extant. Stair with decorative iron balusters and timber handrail. Some simple decorative cornicing.

BRAEHEAD HOUSE: symmetrical. Ashlar to S, coursed rubble to sides. Base course, cill course, cornice. 4 giant Doric-style pilasters separate bays to S. Central, painted Doric-columned porch with cornice and stepped blocking course. Panelled 2-leaf timber door with rectangular fanlight, leading to glass and timber inner door. Flanking windows to ground set in recessed segmental-arched panels with flanking narrow blank windows.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Piended roof with grey slates. Coped wallhead stacks with decorative cans.

INTERIOR: (seen 2008). Fine interior with original room plan largely extant and good decorative features. Curving staircase with shallow treads, fine metal balusters and timber handrail. Decorative 6-panel timber doors. Timber shutters.

Statement of Interest

This is a particularly unusual combination of a late 18th century probably former farmhouse (30 Vennel Street) with an early 19th century Classical house of some refinement built directly onto the rear, a construction which was facilitated by the removing the rear wall of the farmhouse.

30 Vennel Street is likely to have been a farmhouse in the traditional Ayrshire form with attached byres. Braehead House was built in the early part of the 19th century with a connecting door from one to the other and it is possible that the North section became servants' accommodation to the later house. When it was built, Braehead was positioned on the Southern edge of the town, and it is close to other villas of Kersland and Woodlands (see separate listings). The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map describes the building as a bank. Information from the owner suggests that a Robert Miller lived in the house in 1841 and in 1847 the agent for the Union Bank in Stewarton was Robert Miller.

List description updated as part of Stewarton Burgh resurvey, 2009.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793364

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper