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Summary

Description

Dated 1902. Large unusually-detailed single and 2-storey with attic and cellar, Tudoresque villa designed by and built for Swiss artist, Rudolf Christen, with fine little-altered interior, mock half-timbering over granite, horizontally-aligned multi-pane windows (close to eaves at 1st floor), former dining room window rising through both floors and 4-light dormer window with centre pediment. Pink and grey bull-faced granite with some Aberdeen bond below harl and timber. Deep grey granite base course to ground floor cill height, jettied 1st floor. Canted oriel window in rectangular frame. Timber transoms and mullions.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: all elevations asymmetrical. Principal SE elevation with broad advanced gable at right incorporating large corniced canted window at ground right and 5-light 1st floor window below relief-carved datestone in corniced panel at gablehead, timber canopied door in re-entrant angle to left. Full-height 4-light transomed French window to NE, now partly obscured by modern conservatory.

Small-pane glazing patterns in casement windows. Red tiled roof. Canted, bull-faced granite stacks with cans. Overhanging eaves and plain bargeboarding.

INTERIOR: good decorative scheme in place. Plain and decorative plasterwork cornicing, fine timber panelling and architraved doors with brass door furniture, marble and timber fire surrounds. Vertically-panelled screen door with coloured glass panel leading to full-height pilastered gallery (former dining room) with open-timbered roof, white marble fire surround with scallop detail and scrolled consoles, small gallery to W end with circular columns at ground and square columns at 1st floor. Timber dog-leg staircase with ornately plastered ceiling detail incorporating elliptical light with coloured leaded glass. Elaborate china wash hand basin to 1st floor bathroom.

Statement of Special Interest

Glengarden is a substantial villa of unusual design for the Deeside area, with well-detailed original interior detail. Originally known as St Imier, the house was designed by professional artist Rudolf Christen who came from the town of that name. The current library, a single storey flat-roofed room, was built as an artist's studio and it is understood locally that owing to lack of funds the proposed 1st floor was never completed. Rudolf Christen died just four years after building St Imier. His wife, a gifted amateur water-colourist, went on to run a gallery in Belfast and to write a biography of her husband entitled An Artist's Life. She also gave a prize to the local school, to be awarded annually to the most popular child as determined by the children themselves. The next owner of St Imier was Colonel Stewart, author of a book on tiger shooting, of the Indian army. He died in the 1950s, leaving the house to his friend Lord Lyall. The house is now named for the River Gairn, 'Garden' being the anglicised version.

References

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