Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

These six houses, originally identical, were built in c1828 by David Napier, who was largely responsible for opening up Kilmun, Strone and Blairmore as a resort by building a pier and running steamboat routes direct from Glasgow. The 'Tea Caddies' indicate the early 19th century development of Kilmun, being among the first houses built for the holiday traffic, and are very early examples of seaside development on the Clyde Coast. The group is an important addition to Kilmun, and has particular scenic value, especially when seen from across the Holy Loch. The houses are also important for their connection to Napier and the wider opening of the Clyde Estuary to tourists, as well as for their contribution to the streetscape at Kilmun.

3-bay, 3-storey, rectangular-plan houses, with a variety of later alterations (see below). Shallow-pitched piended slated roofs with ashlar stacks and clay cans. Predominantly painted rubble with sandstone dressings.

Anchorage: Large flat-roofed glazed porch to central entrance. Predominantly timber sash and case windows with some later plastic replacements. Some alterations have been carried out since the house was built, including the widening of the ground floor windows. The interior of Anchorage has retained its original layout and stone stair, but the house has been modernised.

Ardmun: Large flat-roofed glazed porch along the front elevation. A piended-roof square extension to the rear dates to the late 20th century. Sometime in the 20th century, the windows on the ground floor have been lowered to form French doors. Replacement windows (2005) on the front elevation. access to the interior of not obtained at the time of the resurvey (2004).

Fountain Villa: Later small flat-roofed glazed porch. The single-storey canted bay to the front elevation is a later addition. More recently, a single-storey piend-roofed extension has been built on to the NW elevation. 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Fountain Villa retains some internal features, such as a stone stair, timber windows and shutters.

Heathbank: Later lean-to shingle-roofed glazed porch. Few changes have taken place to the exterior of Heathbank, with the exception of window replacement. The shed to the rear has been demolished and replaced with a modern timber shed to the E. Modern (c.1960) timber windows throughout. On the interior, Heathbank retains some simple cornices and architraves and the original stone stair. The original pantry to the W at the rear has been removed to form a bigger kitchen.

Lochview: Later flat-roofed concrete porch to the central entrance. To the front are 2-pane and 4-pane timber sash and case windows. To the rear the stair window is 16-pane timber sash and case. The interior of Lochview is perhaps the most intact of the six houses, with stone stair, timber windows and shutters and the boarded timber door to the rear. There is also a cast iron fireplace with tiled cheeks and hearth. However, the ceilings have been replaced throughout.

Woodburn: Flat-roofed glazed porch to the central entrance. To the left is a two-storey canted bay. Woodburn has been considerably altered over the years, with the addition of the two-storey bay, the formation of double windows on the front elevation and cement-harling. To the E is a small single-storey garage extension. Internally, the stone stair was removed and replaced in the 1930s. Cement-harled rubble with painted sandstone dressings. Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Woodburn has been quite modernised, with some features of c1930. In the stair window is stained glass of c1900.

Outbuildings, Boundary Walls, Gatepiers and Gates: the 'Tea Caddies' have steep terraced gardens to the road and shore and service access is by a narrow lane to the rear. The boundary walls are of rubble, with square-plan gatepiers and cast iron and wrought-iron gates. To the rear of the houses are a selection of single and 2-storey-outbuildings, both original and later.

Statement of Interest

David Napier (1790-1869) the celebrated marine engineer and a pioneer of deep-sea steam navigation, purchased a stretch of land along the Holy Loch and Loch Long shore from General Campbell of Monzie in 1828 and built an hotel, a pier and a number of villas, including this group of six. The original use of the villas is uncertain, but it is thought they may have been for short-term let to visitors. In 1829 Napier advertised the attractions of Kilmun, Including 'Substantial quay-side houses to let' (MacLehose 114). Napier is known to have sold off most of his Scottish interests in c 1837 ( Walker, 1992, 359).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56615475

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

• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)