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Summary

Description

L-plan castle, comprised of late 16th century tower house, and L-plan range of 1663. Formerly U-plan around courtyard (range of 1704 to N, demolished in circa 1953). Formerly with large neo-Tudor 2-storey house added to W, by Archibald Elliot, 1822; almost completely demolished in circa 1953. 4-storey and attic tower house to SE; 2-storey and attic range adjoined to W; foundations of 1822 house to W, forming terrace.

TOWER HOUSE: square-plan. 4-storey and cap-house attic. Washed rubble; sandstone dressings. Grey slates.

N (COURTYARD) ELEVATION: window to 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors to left. Small stair window to 2nd and 3rd floors to right, and between 1st and 2nd floors to outer right. Enclosure adjoined at ground floor, with depressed-arched doorway to left to N, and 2 blocked segmental-arched openings to W.

E ELEVATION: blank.

S ELEVATION: small window to right of centre at ground floor. Window, with cusped lintel (see NOTES), to left of centre at 1st floor; panel to left, apparently inscribed "Dom Andreas Agnev 1426. Nomen Domini Fortissima Turris" (probably inserted at later date; inscription becoming illegible); small gun loop below. Window at centre at 2nd floor and to left of centre at 3rd floor.

W ELEVATION: adjoined to lower 1663 range. Off-set stack at centre. Crowstepped gable of cap-house to left, with small window. Small window to right at parapet level.

Corbelled crenellated parapet to N, E and S, wrapped around to W. Portion of parapet at centre to N projected on corbels to form a machicolation. Portion of parapet corbelled out at centre to E, around tall corniced stack. Water spouts to N, E and S, above moulded corbelling. Crowstepped gabled cap-house to NX; door to E. Parapet walk around N, E and S sides, from NX angle to SW angle.

INTERIOR: single apartment to each floor. Turnpike stair in NX angle. Barrel-vaulted ground floor. Fireplace with moulded jambs at 2nd floor. Stone grill between salt-box and fireplace at 1st floor. Beams of former painted ceilings.

L-PLAN WING TO S AND W: 1663; S range probably remodelled from late 16th century wing; 3-storey, with 2nd floor breaking eaves. Variety of glazing patterns; some 12-pane glazing in sash and case windows, some 4-pane fixed glazing. Slightly graded grey slates.

S RANGE:

S ELEVATION: 6 irregularly spaced bays. Washed rubble to 3 bays to right; rendered and lined to 3 bays to left. Asymmetrically disposed windows to each bay to each floor, except in bay to left at ground floor, and 2 small windows at ground floor in bay to right of centre. Gabled dormerheads, with leaded roofs, to windows at 2nd floor; dormerheads inscribed with initials and armorial bearings. Small window, with remains of cavetto-moulded surround, to outer right at 1st floor. Buttresses (circa 1822) flanking bay to left of centre.

Crowstepped skew at centre. Coped stacks; rubble to ridge to centre and left of centre, harled to W gablehead.

N (COURTYARD) ELEVATION: tall circular stair tower at centre; door to NE, with roll-moulded margin; moulded panel above, apparently formerly inscribed "Nisi Dominus Frustra" (inscription illegible); small windows above at 1st and 2nd floors, and breaking eaves with swept dormerhead; conical roof, with leaded finial. 2 windows at ground floor to left of tower, and small rubble enclosure adjoined to left; later 4-light window above and small window to left at 1st floor; 2 windows at

2nd floor, with gabled dormerheads, one to left inscribed "SAA 1663", one to right inscribed "DAS". Window at ground floor to right of tower; 2 windows at 1st floor; window at 2nd floor, with swept dormerhead.

W RANGE:

W ELEVATION: formerly adjoined to 1822 house; remodelled circa 1953. Harled; concrete margins. Gable of S range to right; window to right and French window to left to ground floor; small oculus in square opening to right in gablehead; carved shield at apex. Door to left and 3 windows at ground floor. Terrace adjoined at basement.

N ELEVATION: harled; concrete margins. Crenellated blocking course, raised to gable at centre. Small arched opening at centre at ground floor. Window to left and right of centre to ground and 1st floors; window to left at ground floor. Bipartite window at centre at 2nd floor; carved shield set in panel in gablehead above. Gable raised as plinth, surmounted by sculpture of eagle. 3-stage circular tower adjoined to left; washed rubble; moulded string course between 2nd and

3rd stages; narrow windows to N at 1st and 3rd stages, to NE at

2nd stage, and to E and W between 1st and 2nd stages; corbelled eaves course; conical roof, with swept eaves, and leaded ball and spike finial.

E (COURTYARD) ELEVATION: door to left of centre, window to right and small window to far left at ground floor. 5 windows at 1st floor.

3 windows at 2nd floor; ball-finialled gabled dormerheads to windows to left and right; pedimented dormerhead to window at centre, with moulded panel containing carved shield in tympanum, and shouldered die, surmounted by sculpture of eagle, to ridge of dormerhead behind. Range

continued to E to right; door, window at 1st floor and ball-finialled dormerhead, inscribed "restored 1882", to window at 2nd floor to S return; blank gabled E elevation, with coped ashlar gablehead stack.

INTERIOR: good late 17th or early 18th century dadoes and doors at 1st floors.

TERRACE: situated to W. Remains of 1822 house to basement level. Squared and snecked rubble; red sandstone margins to blocked basement windows. Red sandstone latticed parapet, with small ball-finialled square piers, around most of terrace; brick parapet to some parts. Canted ashlar loggia to N, with segmental-arched openings. Various gabled dormerheads and carved shields (from 1822 house) scattered around.

GATEPIERS: 19th century. Pair of gatepiers to E to courtyard; square ashlar corniced gatepiers, with large ball finials. Cast-iron fleur-de-lis gate to N pier; gate to S pier removed. S pier

adjoined to enclosure to S, forming screen wall; formerly with screen wall to N.

COURTYARD: low rubble wall to N and E around courtyard. Ashlar birdcage bellcote (from 1704 wing) set at NE angle of wall; corniced, stepped capping and ball finial; bell inscribed "John C Wilson, Founder, Glasgow 1864". Stone inscribed "1704" (from 1704 wing) set into wall beside bellcote.

MONUMENT: circa 1883. Situated to NX of Lochnaw Castle. Polished granite. Pedestal on stepped base, surmounted by urn. W face of pedestal inscribed "Louisa Noel D of Charles 1st Earl of Gainsborough, Lady of Lochnaw 1849-1883", with biblical quotation. E face of pedestal inscribed "The Lady Louisa Agnew designed this garden AD 1858".

PAVILION: earlier 20th century. Situated to S of Lochnaw Castle. 5-sided, with 6th side open to N. Log-clad. Grey slates to piended roof. 3-light window, with 6-pane metal-framed glazing, to NX and NE faces; roof angled over these faces. Window opening to S face.

Statement of Special Interest

The old Lochnaw Castle (see separate listing) was situated on Isle of Lochnaw in Lochnaw Loch. It was replaced in circa 1426 by another castle, situated on the south side of the loch; the existing castle presumably stands on the same site as the 1426 castle, but no 15th century masonry is identifiable. The 1663 ranges were built by Sir Andrew Agnew and Dame Anna Stewart, as recorded in the tympana to the N elevation of the S range. Lochnaw was the seat of the Agnews.

Lochnaw Loch was drained in the early 18th century, and apparently most of the masonry of the old Lochnaw Castle was removed and used in the building of the now demolished 1704 wing of Lochnaw Castle. The cusped lintel of the 1st floor window to the S elevation of the tower house is a characteristic feature of 16th century architecture in the south-west.

See separate listings for Lochnaw: Boathouse; Bridge; Garden House; Kathleen Cottage (former Garchrie Lodge) and Gatepiers; Kinsale Tower; Larbrax Lodge; Noel Lodge; Old Lochnaw Castle; Walled Garden.

References

Bibliography

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