Description

W T Douglass of London, dated 1898. 4 x 1-bay, single storey and attic former Lifeboat House with Voseyesque influence. Rectangular plan, bull-faced, squared and snecked sandstone walls with droved red sandstone ashlar dressings. Base course, articulated at foot of battered buttresses, eaves course.

NE (KILKERRAN ROAD) ELEVATION: symmetrical, gabled, large doorway with corbels supporting metal beam covered by timber fascia and drip course over. Doorway battered, corresponding with flanking buttresses. Segmental-arched window in gable above, skews stepped at foot, pedimented at apex encompassing datestone bearing date 1898.

SE ELEVATION: 4 bays, divided by buttresses, segmental-arched windows in each bay with sloping cills, ventilators centred in base course below. Gabled bay to outer right, segmental-arched entrance door at ground floor, plaque bearing initials R W L I in gable, skews stepped at foot with pedestal at apex.

NW ELEVATION: 4 symmetrical bays matching 1st to 3rd bays of SE elevation.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: plain symmetrical gable with block skewputts, square window in gablehead.

4-pane fixed-lights at side and NE elevations, 8-pane at rear. 4-leaf folding vertically-boarded timber doors at NE elevation. Grey slate roof with terracotta ridge, ashlar skew copes and overhanging timber eaves. Cast-iron downpipes centring side elevations, additional downpipe at S corner with hopper. Cast-iron gutters with decorative wrought-iron brackets evenly spaced along eaves.

BOUNDARY WALLS: random rubble retaining wall bounding site to NW. Random rubble dwarf wall with ashlar cope to S, extending to Kilkerran Road and terminated by square stop-chamfered gatepiers with bases and pyramidal caps.

Statement of Interest

Plans at the Dean of Guild, dated 13th October 1890, record an application by W T Douglas, civil engineer. The Campbeltown Courier from 15th October 1898 states: "the lifeboat house is a neat ornate structure. It is built of Killellan stone with Ballochmyle red dressings. The roof is pitch pine. The house has a pleasing exterior, and is certainly not out of keeping with the other houses on Kilkerran Road. The interior presents a bright and cheery appearance, and has been fitted with all the necessary appliances for lifeboat work. The second storey is occupied by a small committee room in the front of the building and a loft at the other end. The doors of the house are hung on an improved pattern as adopted by the London Fire Brigade and a neat railing encloses the structure. The plans were prepared by Mr W T Douglass, engineer and architect of the RNLI, and the work was carried out by Mr Neil McArthur, contractor. The slipway opposite, 250 feet in length, has been constructed on piles running down to low watermark of spring tides, and this as well as the boathouse has been erected under the supervision of Mr N G Gedye, the assistant of Mr Douglass. The total cost has amounted to about ?1400.

It is unfortunate that the railings and gates no longer survive. Runners at the entrance suggest that the gates would have been a low 4-leaf folding arrangement to prevent obstructing the exit of the lifeboat. This is a stylish building of good quality construction. The pronounced battering of the buttresses and door suggests a strong influence of Charles Voysey, but the design and construction also has a striking similarity to the Museum at J J Burnet?s library. The same design is used for the Lossiemouth lifeboat house although it excludes the buttresses and gabled bay at the side.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17774090

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.

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