Description

James K Hunter, 1898-1901. Mainly 2-storey and attic, asymmetric, crow-stepped Arts and Crafts house with gabled ballroom to S, situated on sloping site in isolated moorland setting. Previous service wing to the NE. White painted harl with sloping cills and red sandstone margins to ballroom. Large, projecting conservatory to W elevation. Central canted bow window to S elevation of ballroom.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: E entrance elevation with off-centre steps leading to recessed balustrade with timber entrance door in re-entrant angle to right with red sandstone architrave with semi-circular pediment above. Tripartite fanlight with stained glass.

Remains of decorative cast iron loggia (in poor condition) to S and W elevations of ballroom.

Variety of multi-pane, predominantly timber, sash and case windows. Grey slates. Gable stacks. Decorative cast iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fine Arts and Crafts interior with largely intact features to principal rooms. Three quarter height timber panelling to much of ground floor and stairwell. Timber stair with plain balusters and banister. Some beamed ceilings, including to ballroom. Number of decorative fire surrounds, including one of decorative metal and some tiled. 4 and 6 panel timber doors. Ballroom with minstrels' gallery and initialled stone inglenook fireplace with decorative metal inset.

COURTYARD WALL AND OUTBUILDINGS: adjoining square-plan courtyard to NE with harled and coped wall with ball finials forming S elevation. 2-storey cottage adjoins main house to N, forming W elevation of courtyard. Further single-storey outbuildings to E and N, including piended roofed former game larder.

Statement of Interest

This is a good example of a turn of the century Arts and Crafts house built by a distinguished local architect which retains a largely intact decorative scheme to its principal rooms. The interior of the house retains many original Arts and Crafts features, including timber panelling, a number of decorative fire surrounds, and an inglenook fireplace. The then fashionable inclusion of the ballroom in the design is an important part of its Arts and Crafts Heritage. The house has also been designed to relate to its sloping site, garden and exceptionally remote setting. A wing was formerly located to the South of the courtyard.

The Arts and Crafts style was a popular style for both country and urban houses at the end of the 19th century. The houses often demonstrated vernacular features, as seen here in the crowsteps and multi-gabled elevations. There is a Scots Renaissance influence here too. Arts and Crafts interiors often incorporated timber panelling and a number of handmade features such as the fire surrounds which are found at Black Clauchrie.

Black Clauchrie was built as a shooting lodge for Robert Jardine Mein-Austin and his wife Flora, whose initials are inscribed in the fire place in the ballroom, together with the dates 1898-1901.

Within the wider estate, there is also the remains of a walled garden to the North East of the house, with an associated gardener's cottage, laundry and greenhouse, all in a poor state of repair.

James K Hunter (1863-1929) was an Ayrshire architect, who became partner-in-charge of the well-known Ayr practice Morris & Hunter in 1885. When the partnership was dissolved around 1896, Hunter worked independently for a number of years. He designed a number of small country houses in the area, as well as schools, churches and smaller houses.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Black Clauchrie House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q4920538

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)