Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

PENKILL CASTLELB1148

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
A
Date Added
14/04/1971
Local Authority
South Ayrshire
Planning Authority
South Ayrshire
Parish
Dailly
NGR
NX 23151 98538
Coordinates
223151, 598538

Description

Small castle on a peninsular ravine-edge sited on S bank of Girvan Water. Rubble built with crowstepped gables and slated roofs. Nucleus small square tower of late 16th century date, 26' by 21', 3-storey and basement with pepperpot turrets at NW and SE and (originally) a circular stair tower at NE. Lower wing running E-W built onto N gable, 1628, 2-storey and basement producing L-plan castle of stepped profile. N wing ruinous by early 19th century, rebuilt 1857 to design by the then owner Spencer Boyd and the Glasgow civil engineer A G Thomson, S gable of original tower house designed same date. New work included large circular stair corbelled out at upper levels and similar in profile to original NE tower, but with machicolated parapet and stepped crenellation. Round arched doorway with quatrefoil light at sculptured tympanum, curved glass hood on ornamental metal cantilever brackets. Boldly battered plinth courses. N elevation relatively plain with pedimented dormerheads. Tall single storey hall block to E, William Bell Scott, 1883; buttress feature surmounted by owl and mullioned window on S elevation, twin lancets at E gable, lower link with parapet and belfry feature to main castle crowstepped gable with archway to service court at lower level. Important interior work:

ENTRANCE VESTIBULE: small with timber armorial and Gothic black letter inscriptions.

STAIR: turnpike with major Pre-Raphaelite mural cycle of Kings Quair by William Bell Scott containing portraits of Alice Boyd, the Rossettis and Scott himself, 1859 onwards, wax spirit fresco, partly painted on zinc. Separate schemes of painted decoration at window splays and passages to bedrooms.

LIBRARY: 1st floor of original tower; large segmentally arched stone chimneypiece with stone hood, beamed ceiling, gothic inscriptions, arabesque panels at the window reveals, parts of decorative frieze, wrought-iron curtain rail and panel of carving framing on watercolour.

ANTE-ROOM TO DRAWING ROOM: (now dining room) 2nd floor of original tower; Dutch gilt leather dado, stencilled walls, inset painted panel in ceiling.

DRAWING ROOM: (now dining room) 2nd floor of original tower. Designed as a setting for tapestries still in situ: nook-shafted chimneypiece of 1857, mural of The Twa Corbies by William Bell Scott in window recess, beamed ceiling.

UPPERMOST BEDROOM ('The Windy Room' or 'Christina Rossetti's Room') 3rd floor of original tower. Coved with important scheme of mural decoration by Christina Rossetti of trees with falling autumn leaves and reused ancient woodwork.

MAIN BEDROOM (Laird's or Alice Boyd's) 1st floor of 1628 wing. Chimneypiece of ancient woodwork, painted ceiling of branches and leaves.

MIDDLE BEDROOM: (William Bell Scott's) 2nd floor of 1828 wing. Coved with important decorative frieze, partly on painted paper, with paintings of animals, ancient woodwork on chimneypiece.

HALL CORRIDOR: decorative woodwork, designed as a setting for tapestries.

HALL: timber-lined interior with open timber roof, original hanging lamps; elaborate chimneypiece with granite inset; painted decoration at window reveals.

Small 2-storey block of stable offices of 19th century date, walled garden and sundial with wrought-iron gate given by Christina Rossetti, terracing.

Statement of Special Interest

Built by the then Boyds of Penkill who acquired the estate in the early 16th century. Important Pre-Raphaelite ensemble, historical associations with William Bell Scott, Dante Gabriel, Christina and William Michael Rossetti, Holman Hunt, Ford Maddox Brown, Arthur Hughes, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema and other major figures in the mid-Victorian art world.

References

Bibliography

C and D Arch. Vol iii pp 204-206 illustration fig 139

plans fig 140

W Bell Scott, Autobiographical Notes.

Vera Walker (now Smith) William Bell Scott (unpublished thesis, Durham).W E Freedman, PICTOR IGNOTUS>

BRYATI'S DICTIONARY OF PAINTERS AND ENGRAVERS.

W M Rossetti, SOME REMINISCENCES>

Rossetti's papers and other works.

Lona Mosk Packer, CHRISTINA ROSSETTI.

Georgina Battiscombe, CHRISTINA ROSSETTI.

R Ironside and J Gere, PRE-RAPHAELITE PAINTERS.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 09:38