Garbhein House, Garbhein Road, Kinlochleven, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, Highland

Description

A A H Scott, 1909. 2-storey and attic, 4-bay rectangular-plan detached house with single storey extensions to S and W. asymmetrical Arts and Crafts design with tall chimney stacks, deep projecting eaves and gabled principal elevation with wall ends projecting as strip pilasters and broad round-arched recess to right. Harled exterior, apart from upper storey and outer right bay to rear/S elevation, which are of coursed Kentallen rubble with red stone dressings. Continuous tiled cill band of horizontally laid tiles across

ground floor windows. Tiled cills to 1st floor windows.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance to right of centre to main block; 2-leaf panelled timber door with 3-pane rectangular fanlight; window above; divided by strip pilaster from bay to left with single window to each floor. Flanking gabled outer bays with prominent flanking wall end strip pilasters; wide segmental-headed 3-light window with timber mullions and keystone to 1st floor to each; canted 3-light window with timber mullions to ground floor to outer left bay; stone steps up to full-width round arched opening with brick voussoirs and keystone to outer right bay; segmental-headed entrance with 2-leaf multi-pane glazed patio door set back to centre in coursed rubble wall. Adjoining pair of boxed 2-light dormer windows with timber mullions to centre of attic. Single storey extension set back to left of main block; 3-light

window with timber mullions to right; small window with raised sill to left. Later boarded timber shed with valley roof on concrete base set back to left.

S ELEVATION: single storey extension projects to centre terminating in consevatory with lean-to roof: glazed wooden frame on rendered plinth with gabled entrance with finial to centre; panelled timber door with glazed upper panels; entrance to rendered extension behind: panelled timber door with glazed upper section and multi-pane rectangular fanlight; narrow multi-pane flanking lights. Single narrow window to both returns of rendered extension. 3 irregularly disposed windows to centre of 1st floor; flanking projecting wallhead stacks; single 1st floor window to outer right bay. Ground floor window with keystone of tiles on end to outer right; narrow window (formerly longer, now with boarded timber lower section) to

outer left; double window to small projecting section to left re-entrant of extension. Small central 2-light dormer window with catslide roof to attic. Angle quoins divided by bands of tiles on end to either edge (where not rendered) of main block. Single storey extension on rubble plinth set back to right. Single window to right. Boarded timber shed with valley roof set back to far right.

W ELEVATION: 5-light piended roofed bay window with timber mullions to right; round arched window with keystone to left; 3 irregularly-spaced windows to 1st floor.

E ELEVATION: boarded timber shed projects forward from single storey extension. Small window to extension set back to right. Single 1st floor window set back to right to main body of house. Multi-pane timber frame windows, mainly 12-pane sash and case. Piended grey Ballachulish slate roof to main block; flat asphalted roofs with leaded flashings to single storey extensions. Pair of tall projecting coped wallhead stacks breaking eaves to rear/S elevation; that to right is harled; that to left is shouldered with harled upper section and rubble lower section with central harled stripe; harled coped shouldered dormerlike stack to W; harled stack to N pitch; harled, coped stack to centre of E extension; mainly round red cans (where in existence). Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: internal layout and fittings largely intact. Small vestibule beyond main entrance opens into large hallway with beamed ceiling and quarter-turn staircase with solid timber

balustrade with tapering Art Nouveau style newel posts (those to 1st floor project downwards beneath floor). 3-leaf door beneath Art Nouveau style timber arch opens into living room. Decorative plasterwork to living room and dining room ceilings and cornices; that in living room incorporates circular floral band; that in dining room has 'Jacobethan' style band of fruit and foliage. 3-panel timber doors throughout. Original mantelpieces/fireplace surrounds to most rooms except living room: tall Art Noveau style mantelpieces with flanking pilasters; one bedroom fireplace has exposed surround of green tiles.

Statement of Interest

B group with Edenmhor, Tigh-Na-Bruaich and Inverleven, all on Garbhein Road. These were all built by the British Aluminium Company for the managers of its new aluminium factory in Kinlochleven (opened in 1907). Together they form a picturesque group, set out at different levels/angles along a winding road at the eastern edge of the village (furthest away from the aluminium works). Individually they are good examples of Arts and Crafts design with Art Nouveau detailing and as a group they are particularly unusual given the Highland location. Garbhein House (at the top end of Garbhein Road commanding fine views of the mountain ranges to the N and W) is thought to have been built as the house of the manager of the aluminium works. It is the largest house of the group and remains largely unaltered. It is particularly notable for its unaltered Arts and Crafts interior. All the houses have concrete foundations.

External Links

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