Auchendennan Castle, Helensburgh and Lomond South, Argyll and Bute

Description

John Burnet, 1864-6 with additions 1902 A N Paterson. 3-storey, asymmetrical, rambling plan Baronial chateau. Stugged, squared and snecked sandstone with ashlar margins and dressings. Battered base course; roll-moulded and chamfered arrises; string course; advanced eaves.

E (MAIN) ELEVATION: 4-bay with porte cochere advanced at outer left bay.

PORTE COCHERE: A N Paterson, 1902. Scottish Renasissance. Round-arched coach openings, banded voussoirs; guttae in spandrels. Corner compound banded piers with applied fluted pilasters; ashlar turret-like caps, doric detailing, console finial. Strapwork parapet; pedimented heavily-detailed armorial plaque; ashlar rib vault, central boss with monogram JWJ. Round-arched entrance to porch proper, ashlar ribbing; roll-moulded basket-arched entrance door set within roll-moulded round-arch, decorative detail overdoor with faded date 1899. Stone seat to right of porch; roll-moulded shoulderd arch pedestrian access; urn balustraded parapet.

4-bay main block; advanced round-tower bay to outer right, battered base, window at centre ground; 3 closely-grouped windows at 1st floor, segmental-headed springing from paired banded colonnettes. 2 windows at upper floor, stepped string course for cill. Decorative pierced parapet supported on sandstone corbel course. Taller crowstepped bay to left, tripartite window at ground, 1st floor, that at ground smaller. Bipartite at upper floor, single window in attic gable, string-course stepped over window. 3-storey and attic pavilion-roofed bay advanced at penultimate left, stepped battered base, circular ventilation opening, cast-iron grid. 2 stepped bipartite stair windows, piered roundel windows; ashlar mullions and transoms, circular pierced upper windows. Large bipartite window at upper floor, sandstone corbelled course. Pavilion roof, square dormer, Jacobean strapwork pediment. Large tripartite above porte cochere to outer left, strapwork detail above; window at centre of upper floor, segmental-headed pediment breaking eaves; cast-iron bracketed eaves.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: 6 bays asymmetrically disposed with conservatory to outer left. Tall 2-bay 4-storey over raised basement square tower to outer left. Stair to round-arched door to outer left, rope-moulded hoodmould; 2 round-arched windows at raised basement or right, decorative cast-iron window guards; corbelled tripartite oriel at centre above. 2 windows symmetrically disposed at each floor, diminshing from 1st to 3rd floor; heavy corbelled course suppporting ashlar parapet; gunloops. 3-bay chateau-like to outer right, full-height bowed tower block at centre, upper windows with segmental pediment breaking eaves; conical slate roof, lucarne dormers. Narrow symmetrical flanking bays, basement door at corner, glazed with ashlar mullion, corbelled to square arris above. Narrow crowstepped gabled bay slighltly recessed to outer right. 5-light Tudoresque square window projection at basement, single window above, smaller window at 2nd floor; small domed oriel in gablehead, sculpted cherubic face under corbel.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: 5 near symmetrical bays with round tower to outer left. Tall 3-storey and attic crowstepped gabled bay advanced to outer left, chamfered corner corbelled to square above 1st floor; tripartite windows with single window in chamfer. Tripartite window at 2nd floor, single window in gablehead, strapwork above window. 3-bay block recessed at centre, round-headed narrow windows at ground, 3 windows at 1st, 2nd floor; ashlar blocking course, segmental headed dormerhead at centre. Crowstepped bartizaned gabled bay advanced to outer right; tripartite window at ground, 1st floor; upper floors slightly jettied on sandstone corbelling; small tripartite at 2nd floor, single window in gablehead; bartizans with candlesnuffer roofs, tall lead finials.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; conservatory at ground to outer right; tall tower behind; windows to right, round tower bay clasping at corner. Lean-to crowstepped bay to left; crowstepped gable breaking eaves at centre, flanking chimney stacks, 2 windows at upper floor, window in gablehead.

CONSERVATORY: stugged, squared and snecked, ashlar coping. T-plan, conservatory attached to main house. Small ashlar colonnette dividing windows; qaudripartite windows. Canted end. Ashlar base course. Steps to door on main elevation to outer left. Glazed roof, decorative raised cast-iron panelled cresting.

Timber plate glass sash and case windows; Grey slate roof, lead flashings; chevron patterned slate for pavilions, bartizans. Corniced broad ridge stacks.

INTERIOR: early 20th century vestibule, almost certainly A N Paterson design; inglenook to left, leaded glass; oak panelled with clan name plaques. Ashlar chimneypice, fireplace blocked with modern fireplace; heavily carved, cherubic angel and large female seated figures, inscription "welcome ever smiles farewell goes out sighing" above plaque, "Ad Augusta per Angusta". Pierced wooden screen to oak panelled corridor and ceiling to main stair, cherubic heads supporting cornice. Panelled stair, niche; original green/gold wallpaper. Door from landing, Renaissnace detail; leading to large gallery, coombed ceiling, low relif plaster, paired large brackets with grotesque carving supporting cast-iron open balustrade; glazed hammer-beamed roof, low-relief carving, on either side mythological grouping inscribed "Peace be with all who neath this roof tree rest" and on opposite side "Peace with the coming and the parting guest". Upper stair now glazed behind modern screen, dormitories. Wooden chimneypiece in gallery, stone basket-arched fireplace inscribed "East West Hames Best".

Rooms opening symmetrically off gallery; that to left facing front Art Nouveau detailing; fireplace, in-built furniture. Door with inlaid floral details; wooden cornice with diminuative carved heads punctuating at regular intervals. Drawing room to right, low relief plasterwork ceiling with bosses; Jacobethan wooden carved detaling; chimneypiece with 1992 painting; painted plasterwork along picture rail; sepia stained glass; main window depicting Wisdom, Cheerfulness, Liberality, Temperance; little window to left Industry; Justice, Fortitude and Faith to right. Dining room with original tapestry; decorative coffered ceiling; tripartite full-height Renaissance detailed chimneypiece; built in service furniture. Whirl cast-iron stair.

TERRACE WALL, FOUNTAIN AND GARDEN STATUARY: quatrefoil shaped basin to fountain with central pedestal adorned with dolphins and shells, original crowning bronze eagle stolen.

Balustraded ashlar terrace wall (sturdy balusters), saddleback coping; obelisk capped piers punctuating wall; curved stone seats

Number of garden statues; urns dotted throughout the grounds.

Statement of Interest

The house is listed category A on account of the exceptional interior. It is a youth hostel. Shavian influence to interior decoration - see Cragside. The house replaced an earlier Italianate mansion of circa 1818. It was built for George Martin. Mr Chrystal, a chemical manufacturer instigated the later additions.

External Links

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.