Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Circa 1860, with earlier 20 addition to S (see Notes); converted to flats by Thomas Smith, Gibb and Pate, 1966. Predominantly 2-storey, L-plan multi-gabled villa with deep eaves, very decorative bargeboards, advanced canted bay to W, lower wings to sides and rear, and prominent barley-twist chimney cans. Squared, snecked, stugged red sandstone with ashlar dressings. Base course to front. Chamfered window margins; sloping cills; shouldered windows to principal elevations; stone mullions to bipartite and tripartite windows

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 4 bays. Gabled bays to right and left with tripartite windows at ground and bipartite windows at 1st floor. Large 3-window canted bay to right of centre with steep piended roof and gabled dormerheads above 1st floor windows. Narrow bay to left of centre with gabled dormer at 1st floor. 20th century sun lounge to outer right.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 5 bays with 2-bay entrance gable to right. 2-leaf timber panelled front door in roll-moulded architrave with rectangular fanlight above lintel and sidelights; small window above; 4-light canted bay window to advanced to right with advanced gabled bipartite window above. Recessed bay to centre with 20th century half-glazed door at ground and gabled dormer above. Lower gabled bay advanced to left with tripartite window at ground. Single-storey gabled bay advanced to outer left.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: multi-gabled, irregularly fenestrated rear elevation with 2-sided courtyard to left. 2 20th century glazed back doors. Tripartite staircase window overlooking courtyard with circular stained glass window depicting armorial bearing above.

S (SIDE) ELEVATION: 2 gabled dormers to 1st floor. Sun lounge advanced at ground to left; lean-to brick addition at ground to right.

Predominantly plate glass in timber sash and case windows; some 4-pane glazing to rear; non-traditional uPVC windows to former service wing. Coped sandstone stacks; tall barley-twist cream clay cans with crenellated tops. Graded grey slate with metal flashings. Cast-iron rainwater goods

INTERIOR: divided into 3 flats. Ground floor flat with decorative cornice, frieze and ceiling rose to drawing room; plainer cornicing elsewhere; timber panelled doors. Staircase with decorative cast-iron balusters and mahogany hand rail to upstairs flat. Access not gained to rest of interior.

BOUNDARY WALL: coped, red sandstone boundary wall.

Statement of Special Interest

A very prominent, well-designed, and relatively unaltered mid-Victorian villa overlooking the Firth of Clyde, and of considerable streetscape value.

Skelmorlie was developed from the mid 1840s onwards, when the Earl of Eglinton began to feu his land for the building of 'Marine Villas'. The first house to be built, in 1844, was Beach House at the North end of Shore Road. For the first 15 years or so, development was very slow, and the 1st edition OS map (surveyed in 1857) shows only 12 villas along Shore Road, and none in Upper Skelmorlie. From about 1860, however, development began to speed up, and a number of large villas, such as Thorndale, were built along Shore Road as weekend or holiday homes for wealthy West Coast merchants. Unfortunately the majority of these villas along the southern half of Shore Road have been demolished to make way for large blocks of modern flats. Thorndale is now the best example to survive, as it is relatively unaltered, and retains most of its original features such as the ornate bargeboards, highly decorative chimney cans, and most of its sash windows.

References

Bibliography

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.