Craigend House Hotel, 15 Craigend Road, Troon, South Ayrshire

Description

William Leiper, 1898-9; additions 1903; verandah added 1920 (John Rutherford Johnstone architect, Troon); alterations and additions later 20th century. Asymmetrical 2-storey with attic Old English style house converted for use as hotel. Tooled, rake-jointed red sandstone at ground; polished sandstone dressings; half-timbering with harl jettied out at 1st floor. Raised base course; timber string course dividing floors; overhanging timber bracketed eaves; bolted timber bargeboards. Polished, rake-jointed quoins; polished, rake-jointed long and short surrounds to ground floor openings; chamfered reveals; sandstone mullions and transoms; chamfered cills; timber mullions at 1st floor; projecting timber cills. Single storey, square-plan summer houses flanking E terrace: part red rubble sandstone, part red brick facing; polished sandstone dressings; overhanging bracketed eaves; pyramidal roofs. Rectangular-plan summer house at centre: red brick base course; timber fish-scale detailing at ground; half-timbering and harl beneath overhanging swept eaves. Rusticated, coursed red rubble sandstone columns lining terrace. Later single storey, whitewashed harl L-plan range to N forming residential courtyard.

SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: gabled porch centred at ground; 2 leaf timber panelled door set in pointed-arched surround; flanking trefoil-headed side-lights; segmental-arched, architraved surround to part-glazed timber panelled vestibule door within. Bipartite windows at ground in 2 bays to left and right respectively; tripartite window at 1st floor off-set to left of centre; bipartite windows at 1st floor in flanking bays; box-dormer in bay to right. Single windows at both floors in chamfered bay to outer left; 4-light canted window at ground in single storey wing recessed to outer left. Gabled bay advanced to outer right with projecting 4-light window at ground beneath jettied 1st floor; bipartite window aligned above; single window at 1st floor off-set to left; bipartite window beneath apex. Small trefoil-headed light at ground in bay to outer right.

SE (GARDEN) ELEVATION: bargeboarded gables breaking eaves at centre, outer left and right (wallhead stack partly masking gable to left). 4-light window at ground in canted bay off-set to right of centre; bipartite window in canted bay above beneath overhanging gablehead (decorative bargeboard). 7-light canted glazing row at ground forming chamfered angle to outer right; bipartite window at 1st floor. 5-light glazing row in piended, single storey wing recessed to outer right (chamfered outer light); later single storey additions beyond. Projecting 3-bay arcaded verandah in bays off-set to left of centre; modern glazed infills to round-arched openings; surmounting timber balustrade enclosing 1st floor balcony. Tripartite window at 1st floor beneath central gable; single window at 1st floor off-set to right of wallhead stack in gable to outer left.

Small-pane leaded glazing at ground; small-pane timber casement windows at 1st floor; modern glazing to verandah; some replacement glazing at 1st floor; various rooflights. Grey slate roof; red clay ridge tiles; some copper roofing to single storey wings. Moulded copes with dentilled friezes to sandstone ridge and wallhead stacks; circular terracotta cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: original details to entrance corridor and adjoining ground floor reception rooms. Extensive timber panelled wainscotting; timber panelled doors; plain timber cornices. Tudor-arched ashlar door surround (accessing lounge, stair and bar) with carved sandstone spandrels, engaged colonnettes, coats of arms forming decorative frieze; part-glazed 2-leaf door. Jacobean screen with turned balusters and arched entry dividing stair and lounge; balustraded stair to 1st floor gallery; triple-arched screen at stairhead (now blocked with door infill to right); arched-brace and tie-beam roof with king post. Principal fireplaces in lounge and bar with timber strapwork and bronze relief overmantles respectively. Carved pilasters with foliate capitals (some grotesque heads); decorative timber friezes; original tapestry frieze with floral and foliate detail to bar. Fireplace in reception room to N of entrance corridor with decorative carving to pilastered frame; painted overmantle.

SUMMER HOUSES: single bay, square-plan summer houses flanking E terrace. N summer house open with small-pane timber doors linking hotel addition to N; boarded timber doors accessing rear car park; engaged rusticated column to S; red brick facing to E. S summer house enclosed with boarded timber door from terrace; boarded timber elevation to W; engaged rusticated column to N; red brick facing to E. Pyramidal slate roofs to both; ball-shaped finials. Rectangular-plan summer house at centre accessed from boarded timber entrance in terrace wall; 3-light window centred in E elevation; canted window to S; part-glazed timber door to N; flanking small pane side-lights. Piended slate roof; red tile ridging. Coped red brick stack to N; circular terracotta can.

TERRACE AND COLUMNS: regularly-disposed circular-plan rusticated columns fronting stone-slabbed terrace; polished square plan caps; surmounting pergola missing. Full-length red brick wall enclosing terrace to rear.

ENTRANCE PIERS: squat, polygonal sandstone piers flanking entrance from Craigend Road; stylised angle buttresses; surmounting lamps.

Statement of Interest

B Group with No 9 Craigend Road, Piersland Gatehouse and Nos 139-145 Bentinck Drive, Piersland Mews, both of which were designed in the Old English style by William Leiper (1839-1916) to service this house - originally Piersland Lodge. Described as "...a perfect illustration of the current taste for English vernacular" (Davis), here the architect created a charming residence for Sir Alexander Walker (grandson of Johnnie Walker of whisky fame). Despite change of use to form a hotel, the original design remains fundamentally intact and well detailed both inside and out - high quality materials and craftsmanship being evident throughout. One of the most significant buildings in Troon, Piersland is also amongst Leiper's most successful designs in the Old English style.

External Links

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