Craigard, Low Askomil, Campbeltown, Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute

Description

Dated 1882. Large and irregularly composed Italianate villa (now rest home) consisting of 2-bay, 2-storey main block with additional bay projecting to the E, set back from principal elevation, 3-storey square tower in re-entrant angle at N end of W elevation. Stugged ashlar walls, squared and snecked to wings, polished ashlar dressings and details. Harled rear elevations with droved ashlar dressings. Base course to ground floor cill height, eaves course to main block.

TOWER: 3-stage, horizontally channelled to string course at impost level of entrance door. Entrance door to S face, round-arched, architraved at head with keystone, flanking brackets to cornice above; 6-panel 2-leaf doors. Stone steps with low wall to left. Narrow window to left of W face at ground floor. 2 narrow, round-arched windows to 1st floor, S and W faces. 2-light, round-arched, arcaded windows at 2nd floor, S, W, and N faces, colonnettes between with capitals and bases, except for square column at N window. String courses at impost level. Wide stack, slightly advanced, at E face.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: excluding tower. Main block of 3 bays, 3rd narrower bay set back at right. Bay to left slightly advanced, with large 2-storey 5-light bowed window, 1st floor windows arcaded, with columnar mullions, channelled voussoirs around arch heads. 2nd bay, bipartite window at ground with cornice above, 2-light, round-arched, arcaded window above, columnar mullion at centre, channelled voussoirs and bracketted cill. 3rd bay, door (former window) at ground, window above.

E ELEVATION: round-arched window at 1st floor to outer left, channelled voussoirs and bracketted cill. Narrow windows at ground and 1st floor to outer right.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: 3 bays with bays to left advanced. Ground floor, door in bay to left, bipartite window in bay to right. Window at 1st floor right bay only. Large stair window in bay to right, comprising round-arched principal window with flanking round-arched windows, small circular windows above all within round-arched surround.

E WING: 2 low storeys, 3-bay S elevation, 1st bay with tripartite windows at both floors, 1st floor with bracketted cill and fluted square columnar mullions. 2nd bay, large round-arched former pend opening at ground floor (now glazed as french windows), bipartite window above with bracketted cill and square fluted columnar mullion at centre. Single bay parapetted section to right with bipartite window.

W WING: 3-storey, 4-bay with principal front to W. Bipartite window at 1st bay, 1st floor, former boiler house projecting to W below, balustraded parapet forming garden terrace, main elevation facing S with infilled garage door to left and bipartite window to right. Round-arched pend at ground floor, 2nd bay, datestone bearing date 1882 between 3rd and 4th bay 1st floor windows, round-arched window at ground floor, 4th bay.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows to most openings, modern glazing to S front, ground floor bipartite and 4-pane timber sash and case windows to rear of main block. Glazed infill with blockwork apron to pend at E wing. W wing, ground floor window at 4th bay, stained glass timber framed window of 2 round-arched lights with circular light centred above. Stained glass window at main staircase depicting Autumn. Grey slate roof to main block, wings and tower, overhanging timber eaves, bracketted to principal front and tower. Ridges of main block, bow window and wings terminated with finials, weathervane at apex of tower roof. Ornate cast-iron balconies to bow window at 1st floor and over entrance doorpiece. Cast-iron profiled gutters, square downpipes with decorative brackets at end elevations. Coped ashlar stack to E face of tower, wallhead stack at N wall of W wing, circular cans.

INTERIOR: most fittings retained including panelled doors, shutters, cornices, timber chimneypieces and ornate timber stair.

BOUNDARY WALLS: random rubble wall with ashlar cope to Low Askomil. Roughcast retaining wall to rear with ashlar cope and hooped railings.

Statement of Interest

This building is strikingly similar to John Gordon?s Oakleigh Villa, as illustrated in Blackie?s VILLA AND COTTAGE ARCHITECTURE. Current (1995) owners have planning permission to convert this villa into a rest home. Their alterations have not so far affected the interior or exterior of the building, but they are currently proposing to replace the existing timber sash and case windows with double glazing units.

External Links

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