Description

Circa 1885. U-plan; single storey (partially with basement and attic/built into sloping ground) stable block. Scottish Baronial design with crowstepped gables (except to plainer slightly earlier block at W end of S wing); miniature bartizan and circular-plan dovecot turret at W end of N wing. Mainly coursed rubble with stugged red sandstone dressings; slightly earlier block of coursed stugged sandstone with stugged sandstone dressings. Stugged quoins and long and short surrounds throughout; droved inner surrounds, except to slightly earlier block.

W ELEVATION (COURTYARD ENTRANCE): pair of square-plan red sandstone gatepiers to centre; each with frieze and cornice and swept pyramid coping; replacement timber gates. Low coped wall (built into sloping ground) adjoins that to left. Gable end of slightly earlier block to S wing adjoins that to right; entrance with boarded timber door to left. Gable end of N wing set back slightly to left (behind low coped wall); window to right; miniature bartizan with crenellated parapet and blind arrowslits to outer cardinal points to left arris; circular-plan dovecot turret with circular flight holes at cardinal points and moulded eaves cornice surmounted by conical roof, swept at eaves( surmounted by later flag finial) to right arris.

N ELEVATION: 4-bay. Small horizontal ground floor window with splayed cill just below eaves to each bay; pair of blind keyhole arrowslits (circular motif at top and bottom) to centre. Miniature bartizan with crenellated parapet and blind arrowslits to outer cardinal points to right arris.

E ELEVATION: gable end of N wing to outer right; window to left of ground floor; small attic window to gable. 2 entrances to ground floor to central section; that to left inserted/enlarged with cast-iron lintel; small window in between. Window to left of 1st floor (roofline above appears to have been altered). Lower section of wall of former stablemaster or factor's house (largely demolished) adjoins set forward to outer left (former entrance to right and inserted opening to left).

S ELEVATION: earlier block to left; small ground floor window to outer left. Inserted entrance (timber door with glazed upper panels) with window to left to outer right. Lower section of wall of former stablemaster or factor's house (largely demolished) adjoins to right (blocked entrance and flanking windows).

COURTYARD ELEVATION: N WING: large near-central entrance (possible for carriage); flanking entrances with 2-leaf boarded timber doors. Circular-plan dovecot turret with circular flight holes at cardinal points and moulded eaves cornice surmounted by conical roof, swept at eaves (surmounted by later flag finial) adjoins left arris; Caernarvon-arched entrance to this side. E WING: large inserted 2-leaf timber door to altered central bay. Window to left. Gable end of former stablemaster/factor's house (largely demolished) to right. S WING: cast-iron beam/column support opensided left section (altered).

Windows variously multi-pane timber sash and case; fixed pane; fixed pane with top opening casement and shuttered. Grey slate roofs; original decorative fishscale slating to all except slightly earlier block to S (roof missing to largely demolished stablemaster/factor's house). Coped ashlar gablehead stack with frieze at W end of N wing; cans missing.

INTERIOR: original timber horse stalls with cast-iron frames to N wing. Reinforced floor inserted to 1st floor of central section of E wing; cast-iron beams flanking shallow brick vaults visible to basement.

Statement of Interest

A late 19th century stable block incorporating some fine detailing; the orginal decorative fishscale roof and turreted conical-roofed dovecot are particularly notable. The earliest extant portion of the house for which it was built (Ballochneck) is earlier 19th century; it was remodelled and enlarged in the later 19th century (see separate list description). The estate was purchased in the 1880's by Sir William McOnie, who became Lord Provost of Glasgow. The stables were probably built (around slightly earlier block) by him and would appear to slightly postdate the rebuilding of the house (in Italianate style). They appear in their present form on the 1898 OS map (there is nothing on the site on the 1865 OS map).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77778473

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)