Description

James Bell of Glasgow, 1884; refurbished following fire 1917; with later/late 20th century additions. 2-storey and attic, large, assymmetrical main block with prominent 4-storey tower at SE corner and single and single storey and attic service wings to W. Scottish Baronial mansion with mullioned and transomed windows, bartizans to tower and prominent entrancepiece with Tudor-arched doorway to principal (S) elevation. Original sections coursed stugged sandstone with sandstone ashlar dressings; 20th century additions brick and harled. Base course to main block; moulded string course to upper sections with masonry corbelled out slightly above (largely at frieze level although stepped around some windows to principal elevation/tower on this side; absent from E elevation of tower); moulded eaves cornice and moulded coping throughout. Bracketed shoulders to gables; main ones largely with flat raised heads. Roll-moulded surrounds to openings to principal and E elevations of main block; chamfered reveals elsewhere.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 5-bay main block, including tower to outer right. Projecting doorpiece to central bay; lower half stepped out parallel to main wall; upper courses corbelled out slightly as frieze above moulded string course; piended ashlar roof with crocketed gablets decorated with trefoils at upper arrises; corbelled out balcony with pierced ashlar parapet to centre; front panels framed by attached piers with ball finials. Short flight of steps, swept in plan, up to doorway; flanking rectangular-plan piers with circular carvings at head at foot of parapet; moulded lower string course of doorpiece incorporated as architrave with raised panel with shield with lion rampant centred above Tudor-arched doorway; spandrels carved with flowers/thistles; splayed triple roll-moulded outer reveal; 2-leaf panelled timber door. Flanking mullioned and transomed quadripartites. Regular fenestration to central 3 bays to 1st floor; that to left gabled to floor above, with circular panel with trefoil at apex and gableted skewputts; breaking-eaves attic dormer with shaped gable with shield at head to central bay; panel carved with date '1884' below to right; mullioned bipartite with pointed lights at base of tower to right bay; spandrels carved with foliage and thistle; shallow canopy above surmounted by large ornate strapwork panel. Outer right half of outer right bay set partially at angle to lower 3 floors (see E Elevation). Blind hood-moulded arrowslit to ground floor to left side. Corbelled base of elongated octagonal bartizan to floor above; cat-like grotesque in high relief to right of corbelling. Blind hood-moulded arrowslits to outer face of 2 upper stages of bartizan (lower one with carved heads as label-stops); one to right face where bartizan rises above parapet of tower; slightly projecting parapet to bartizan. Upper storey of tower corbelled out to right of bartizan (over angled half bay); small Tudor-arched window with carved spandrels and moulded hood-mould; stone projection (probably imitation rainspout) to parapet above. Slightly projecting parapet of tower raised at angle to left of octagonal bartizan; piereced trefoil at base with high relief grotesque adjoining to right. Circular bartizan at left arris of tower; circular panels at cardinal points to main body; shield and circle motifs above, at base of parapet. Outer left bay of main block recessed; left arris of 2nd bay corbelled out slightly at 1st floor over slightly rounded ground floor; window to upper 2 floors to return; upper one breaking eaves dormer with shaped gable with shield at head. Mullioned and transomed canted 10-light window with crenellated parapet set back; mullioned and transomed 6-light window above. Outer left arris of main block chamfered at 1st floor level with small window with cusped ogeee arch with carved spandrels and hood-mould with flower label-stops; masonry corbelled out above. Single storey service wing adjoins to left; breaking eaves gable to left of centre; arrowslit at head; mullioned tripartite at ground with segmental-headed central light raised above transom; window to left; 2 windows set back slightly to right, including mullioned bipartite to outer right. Single storey and attic service wing to rear extends slightly further to W where it adjoins later/late 20th century 2-storey 3-bay harled addition; 3-storey 8-bay brick further addition adjoins to outer left.

E ELEVATION: 6-bay (main block). 4-bay tower section to left; comprising 3-bay projecting section and single bay set back to right. Projecting section canted to lower 2 floors (mullioned and transomed quadripartite to each bay at ground; mullioned bipartite to central and left bays at 1st floor); 2nd floor canted to left side only (window to this and central bay); rounded arris to right bay (with blind hood-moulded arrowslit and one to right return), corbelled out with grotesques in high relief flanking corbelling; 3rd floor corbelled out at left bay (with small Tudor-arched window with carved spandrels and moulded hood-mould) with high relief grotesque to right of corbelling; window to central bay; breaking-eaves gable with circular panel with pierced trefoil to left bay; circular-plan bartizan with crenellated parapet at arris of right bay; small niches with cusped heads at outer cardinal points; balustraded parapet along eaves, including to right return. Slightly taller section of tower with crenellated parapet set back to bay to right; window to each floor (partially obscured by later fire escape); that at ground transomed bipartite with pointed head; right return of taller section of tower visible above roof; window to centre and one to right; central one hood-moulded with corbelled out breaking-eaves gabled canopy with truncated trefoil panel at head; circular-plan bartizan at right arris. 2-bay section of main block adjoins to right; window to each floor to each bay; that to left at ground floor mullioned and transomed sexpartite; that to right transomed bipartite; mullioned bipartite to left of 1st floor; finialled breaking-eaves gabled dormers to attic, carved shield set within panel at head of each.

N ELEVATION: 6-bay section of main block to left. Slightly projecting gabled bay to left of centre; blind arrowslit at head of gable; double flight of steps with balustraded parapet up to slightly recessed entrance to right; masonry corbelled out above string course to either side and above low pointed-arched lintel, where bracketed; moulded architrave; 2-leaf panelled timber door set back; small transomed window to left; large 9-light mullioned and transomed stair window above; cill of bottom left light at lower level; central top light extended upwards with pointed-arched head. Gabled projecting bay to outer left; canted window projection to lower 2 floors corbelled out to rectangular-plan containing hood-moulded segmental-headed window at attic level. Window to each floor to bay set back to right; mullioned tripartite at ground with head of central light raised above transom; breaking-eaves dormer to attic with segmental gable with flat raised head and carved panel. 3 irregularly-fenestrated bays to right of main block; entrance (probably formerly window, now with late 20th century glazed door) to central bay; window above to each floor, including mullioned bipartite to 1st floor; mullioned bipartite to left of ground floor; window above; ground and 1st floor windows at slightly lower levels to right bay (upper one segmental-headed). Single storey and attic 6-bay service wing adoins to right, including 3-bay projecting section to outer right; window to centre of ground floor to left section; window to each floor to flanking bays; one of pair to right of ground floor; mullioned bipartite to left; gabled breaking-eaves mullioned bipartites with roll-moulded finials to attic; ground floor windows to left and central bays of 3-bay projecting section to right; breaking-eaves dormers to each bay to attic; mullioned bipartite with nepus gable to central bay; flanking flat-headed windows (that to right now in use as entrance with later fire escape in front); small window to ground floor of left return. Later/late 20th century 2-storey 3-bay harled addition set back to right; 3-storey 8-bay brick further addition adjoins to outer right.

W ELEVATION: double gable end of single storey and attic service wing to left; entrance to right of that to right; 2 windows to left (one modified from larger opening); mullioned bipartite to attic. Narrower lower-height gable projects to left; large entrance, incorporating modified door to ground floor. Later/late 20th century 3-storey brick addition projects to right.

Mainly 2-pane timber sash and case windows to original block. Grey slate roofs. Moulded coping, friezes and chamfered upper arrises to stacks; pair of gableheads at W end of main block; ridge stack to S side and 2 to N; 2 wallheads to tower; gablehead and ridge stack to N side of single storey and attic service wing; corbelled wallhead and nepus stack to N side; round cans.

INTERIOR: principal entrance opens into panelled vestibule with mosaic floor. Large entrance hall with wide dog-leg staircase with ornate timber balustrade with intricately carved newel post at base and leaded stair window; rounded recess opposite contains carved stone fireplace surround with flanking foliate capitals; flanking panelled dado with attached fixed bench seating. Ornate floral plaster cornice and panelled border to drawing room ceiling; heavily carved Jacobethan timber fireplace surround. Upper 'hall' with curved timber bracket across ceiling and raised platform/gallery at one end (timber fireplace surround and dado appear to be post-1917).

Statement of Interest

An imposing late 19th century baronial mansion with some fine detailing (notably to tower). It was built for Thomas Brown, a Glasgow merchant, on the site of the former much smaller 'Endrickbank House'. The 1884 building appears to have survived far more intact than is suggested by contemporary newspaper accounts of a major fire that engulfed it in 1917. It is likely that much of its original interior was lost at that time. At the time of the fire it belonged to Henry Christie, a calico printer, who owned it until the 1940's when it passed into the hands of the Glasgow Western Hospital Board. It was used as a nurses' home until Killearn Hospital closed in 1972. For much of the 1970's it was in use as a training and conference centre for British Steel and is currently (2000) in use as a nursing home. The additions postdate the 1966 OS map. See separate list descriptions for Entrance Lodge and Gateway.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Dalnair House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17837136

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

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