Description

Circa 1855. Pair of 2-storey, 2-bay classical L-plan dwelling houses, extended to rear. Coursed sandstone ashlar principal facade; coursed sandstone rubble to sides and rear. Heavy base course and eaves cornice. Architraved dressed ashlar window surrounds. Skew gabled.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: No. 1: to ground floor left, pilasters forming slightly projecting door surround, flush rectangular pediment supporting projecting moulded cornice; window with architraved surround to right. To 1st floor, architraved window to left and right; projecting cornice with low parapet course surmounting.

W ELEVATION: original gable to right: single storey later porch concealing ground floor elevation, window to extreme left and right on 1st floor; rear extension partially concealed by adjacent building.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: gable ends with wallhead stack to centre; No. 3's gable slightly more advanced. Yellow brick inner returns, fenestration not seen, 2001.

E ELEVATION: original gable to left: window with projecting sill and margins to extreme left and right on both storeys. To right, rear extension: 3 windows with projecting sills and margins to ground floor; matching window to outer bays on 1st floor. Adjoining to extreme right of ground floor: stone piers supporting triangular ashlar pediment, timber door leading to rear yards; coursed rubble wall to right with arched coping.

2-pane timber sash and case windows. Piended grey slate roof; metal ridging, flashing and valleys. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods, concealed guttering to front draining to down pipe on W elevation, painted cast-iron waste pipes to E elevation. Yellow brick stacks to gable heads and rear wall heads; red brick neck coping to E stack with 4 octagonal cans, narrow projecting stone copes to other stacks, mixed octagonal and terracotta cans.

INTERIOR: slightly altered to form dental practice and offices, original room plan in existence.

Statement of Interest

Named after the Duke of Portland, this road contained part of the route for the original tramline between Kilmarnock and Troon. The terminus was in the road's east end where it joins the present St Marnock Street and the line passed where Nos. 6 & 8 Portland Road now stand. Originally, St Marnock Street stretched from King Street to the railway bridge at Irvine Road until part of it was renamed Portland Road. This particular pair of house was one of the earliest buildings on the newly developed road, which was opened up properly between 1855 and 1870. These houses were built some time between the 1849 map of the Duke of Portland's property being printed and the 1857 Ordnance Survey map of the same area. Until this point there were few houses, the route being primarily rural and leading to large country villas and farms. No. 1 is now being used as a dental surgery with No. 3 for business purposes. These former dwelling houses are prominently positioned on the junction of Portland Road and John Finnie Street. An older church to the west was demolished and a late 20th century ribbed concrete replacement constructed.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777611

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

• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)