Footbridge, Stroove, 38 Montgomerie Terrace, Skelmorlie, Largs, North Ayrshire

Description

John Honeyman, 1868 for himself; additions Keppie and Henderson, 1920-22; late 20th century roof extension to S. 2-storey and basement, irregular plan, multi-gabled villa on sloping site. 3 advanced gables to E with recessed sections between, service wing to S, advanced gables and 1920s addition with balustraded roof to W, basement to N and W. Canted bay windows to N, E and W; some trefoil-headed windows to S and W; deep eaves; decorative bargeboards to gables. Squared, snecked, stugged red sandstone with polished ashlar dressings. Base course; string course (not continuous). Chamfered window margins; irregular fenestration to all elevations.

E (FRONT) ELEVATION: Timber paneled front door in roll moulded architrave to right return of central advanced gable; 2 flat-roofed dormers above; 3 windows to front of gable. Recessed section to right: 4-light transomed and mullioned hall window at ground with cusped pointed-arches to upper lights; hoodmoulded window above with dormer gable. Advanced gable to outer right with 3-light canted bay window at ground with dentilled detailing below string course and blind balustrade above; hoodmoulded window above. Gable to outer left with 2 windows at front; timber boarded back door recessed to right of gable.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2-storey canted bay window to left gable with dentilled cornice below string course and piended fish-scale slated roof. Irregular fenestration to right with 2 doors at basement and dormed window to right.

W (GARDEN) ELEVATION: 7 bays with advanced and recessed sections. Advanced 1920's rendered tower to centre: large transomed, mullioned window at 1st floor with bracketed, open segmental pediment and bracketed cill; window at ground; non-traditional uPVC door to left return; long and short margins. Recessed gable to left with hoodmoulded windows. Advanced gable to outer left: pointed-arch window at ground; 2 windows above separated by central corbelled buttress supporting canted oriel window at top floor. Gabled bay to right of centre with 2-storey canted bay window. Lower service wing to right with trefoiled-headed window at 1st floor under gabled dormerhead. Single-storey section to outer right.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3 bays. Gable to centre: 3-light window to ground with dropped cill to centre light and cusped window heads; window to gable apex. Advanced Gable to right with rounded corners at ground, corbelled to square at 1st floor. Lower gabled wing advanced to left with single-storey outhouse adjoining to S.

Predominantly plate glass to timber sash and case windows; some 4-pane glazing; some 6-pane glazing to upper sashes; sone non-traditional uPVC windows. Graded grey slate roof.

INTERIOR: geometric stained glass to upper lights of hall window. Hall and principal ground floor room joined to form large reception room: roll-moulded stone chimneypiece; timber paneling to dado; decorative cornicing; compartmented ceiling with decorative plasterwork; panelled doorpiece in hall with 2-leaf timber panelled door. Dining room with compartmented ceiling, decorative cornicing and picture rail. Some cornicing and timber panelled interior doors to other rooms. Back stair with tuned timber balusters and stop-chamfered newel post.

BRIDGE AND WATERFALLS: round-arched random rubble bridge to drive with crenellated parapet. Stepped waterfalls along Halket Burn.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS, STEPS: flat-coped random rubble boundary wall. Sandstone gatepiers. Sandstone garden steps to N of house.

Statement of Interest

Built by the architect for himself. Honeyman was one of the formost architects in Glasgow during the mid-late 19th century. During the 1850s he had spent time working in London, and made a particular study of Medieval Gothic architecture, becoming very knowledgeable on the subject. When he returned to Glasgow he specialized in

church architecture, Producing Gothic designs that were far in advance of any others that had previously been built there. Honeyman was a very prolific architect, and also designed a large number of villas in Glasgow and the surrounding area. Honeyman designed a number of houses in both Upper and Lower Skelmorlie. The first house he built was Chaseley on Shore Road (unfortunately due to be demolished in 2004); Stroove was the next house he built, as a weekend retreat for himself. His presence in the village evidently gave rise to a number of other commissions for villas, mainly on Montgomerie Terrace and The Crescent, and in 1895 he designed the village church. None of Honeyman's villas in Skelmorlie are overtly Gothic in tone, but most of them incorporate a small amount of Gothic detailing, such as the few cusped windows at Stroove. Although Honeyman was a prolific architect, he did not become very wealthy, and he was later obliged to sell Stroove. In 1901 he went completely blind, but continued to work for another three years, modeling his designs in plasticene with the help of his son. Stroove has suffered a number of unfortunate alterations during the 20th century. The 1920s tower-like addition to the West elevation is not very sensitive to the original design, despite being designed by the firm Keppie and Henderson, which was a continuation of Honeyman's practice (Honeyman had joined partnership with Keppie in 1889). The chimney stacks have unfortunately been removed from the outside of the building, and some or the original timber sashes have been replaced with uPVC, although fortunately not many. Inside, the former drawing room and hall have been knocked into one room, and the principal staircase

also seems to have been removed (neither of the surviving staircases appear to be suitably grand for a house of this size). However, despite these alterations Stroove has considerable architectural interest and importance as the house of one of the foremost West-Coast architects of the mid-late 19th century. The waterfalls in the garden are also of interest, being a good example of Victorian engineering, and together with the bridge, form an important part of the garden and setting of the house.

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.