Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Mr Baird of Glasgow, 1839; with addition to W of circa 1920 by William C Boyd of Glasgow. 2-storey; 3-bay; rectangular-plan main block; with contemporary single storey and attic; service section adjoining to E; narrower 2-storey wing of circa 1920 adjoins to W. Original main block of Jacobethan design with irregular gabled elevations with gabled dormers; gabled porch with Tudor-arched entrance and mullioned and transomed ground floor windows to principal (N) elevation. Harled with droved sandstone ashlar dressings. Base course and eaves cornice to original sections. Roll-moulded architraves to openings to main block; architraved openings with splayed reveals to service section to E. Coped gables to original main block; bracketed block skewputts to main gables to both original sections. Overhanging eaves to circa 1920 W addition.

N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: original 3-bay main block to centre. Porch with shouldered gable (plain roundel at apex, finial truncated) projects to slightly recessed central bay; Tudor-arched entrance with splayed reveal; Tudor-arched entrance with moulded reveal set back; 2-leaf part-glazed panelled timber door with fanlight. Dormer with shouldered breaking-eaves gable (roundel at apex, ball finial) above. Flanking bays set forward slightly; that to left gabled with short pillar attached at apex, ball-finialled above roofline; that to right with small bracketed breaking-eaves panel to left arris (at junction with slightly recessed central bay); window to each floor to each bay; those to ground floor mullioned and transomed quadripartites with bracketed cornices; that to right of 1st floor gabled breaking-eaves dormer. Circa 1920 section adjoins to right; single bay to left with window to each floor (that to 1st floor gabled breaking eaves dormer); slightly projecting section adjoins to outer right; small window to left of ground floor and one to right of 1st floor. Original service wing set back slightly to outer left; gabled section projects slightly to right; 2 windows to ground floor; attic window to gable. Later single storey addition adjoins projecting to far left.

S ELEVATION: original 3-bay main block to centre. Gabled bay to left (block skewputt extended and surmounted by ball finial); window to each floor to each bay (those to 1st floor to 2 bays to right gabled breaking-eaves dormers). Original service section set back slightly to outer right; gabled section projects slightly to left; window to each floor. Circa 1920 wing adjoins set back to outer left. Entrance set back within round arch to right; gabled upper part of bay jettied out slightly; corbelled skewputt to left; plain panel to gable. Window to each floor to left; that to 1st floor recessed bow window. Left return of original main block adjoins at right angles to right; mullioned and transomed canted 8-light window to ground floor; breaking-eaves dormer with shouldered gable (roundel at apex, moulded skewputts) above to right; narrow window (probably inserted) to left.

E ELEVATION: later single storey L-shaped addition projects to most of ground floor. Double gable end of original service section set back; attic window visible to each gable; entrance to outer left; part-glazed timber door with 2-light rectangular fanlight.

W ELEVATION: single bay to circa 1920 addition; mullioned canted tripartite to ground floor; breaking-eaves dormer with piended roof above.

Mainly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs; valley roofs to original main block and service section; piended roof to circa 1920 addition. Pair of ridge stacks (both originally gableheads) to N ridge of original main block; one to S ridge; gablehead stack to S; all corniced; tall corniced wallhead stack with stepped shoulders to N elevation of circa 1920 addition; mainly round cans.

INTERIOR: original layout largely intact. Dog-leg staircase with winders and cast-iron balustrade with timber handrail.

GATEPIERS TO WEST: pair of square-plan sandstone ashlar gatepiers (probably circa 1920 together with addition on this side) attached to low coped wall adjoining house to W; both with fielded panel to each side and surmounted by large pine cone finial (probably of 18th century date).

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Sundial to SE and Dovecot to N. A handsome earlier-mid 19th century house, built in the Picturesque tradition and incorporating features of Elizabethan and Jacobean design. It was sympathetically extended in a Vernacular Revival-influenced style circa 1920, not imitating but deriving inspiration from the original design. The elevations for the original building show that it survives largely intact (apart from the extension), retaining its original glazing pattern. All of the gables are however shown as finialled (mainly with a ball surmounted by a spike); most of these finials are now missing or only partially intact. The date/architect of the original building have been ascertained from the 1839 diary of the original owner, Robert Govane, who commissioned it (in that year). He refers to the architect as 'Mr Baird of Glasgow', which presumably was John Baird (1798-1859), who is known to have undertaken much work in the 'late Tudor' style 'of Wilkins and Burn' (Colvin). Drumquhassle was made a barony (with Drumquhassle Castle as its principal messuage) by Mary, Queen of Scots, in the 16th century. It appears to have been held by the Govane family since the late 17th century (a sundial in the garden dated 1710 is inscribed with the name of William Govane of Drumquhassle) until about the 1910's, when it was purchased by the family of the present (1999) occupant, who had been renting it for some years. The Govanes were reputedly Jacobite supporters and the house that this one was built to replace is said to have sheltered Bonnie Prince Charlie. According to the New Statistical Account, in 1840, the family of Robert Govane of Park of Drumquhassle was 'the only family of independent fortune residing in the parish'. A columnar pedestal and a carved polyhedron to be found in the garden are both probably remnants of earlier sundials. The latter is probably one of the 'globular stones, with the circles of the sphere and constellations engraved on them - and concave stones, with engravings of a similar character' erroneously referred to in the New Statistical Account as having been made by John Napier of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms. Napier is believed to have lived at the former nearby Gartness Castle and the estate of Gartness passed into the possession of the Govane family in around the late 17th century. According to the RCAHMS some carved details from the former Gartness Castle, including the pine cone finials on the gatepiers, were removed to Drumquhassle. They appear to have lain in the garden until around 1920 when they were incorporated as finials on top of the present gatepiers at the entrance to the former water garden to the E of the house. They were removed to their present positionn and the attached wall constructed in the late 20th century.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56615011

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

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings