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Summary

Description

WALLED GARDEN TO EAST: 1820s (probably David Hamilton); remodelled circa 1921 by F W Deas. Earlier E, W and S walls are rubble with stepped pediments and round-arched pedestrian gate with ornamental wrought-iron work to S wall.

N wall re-modelled circa 1921: bowed section of layered dark grey schist with engaged pillars at corner angles; glazed, garden loggia breaching wall to centre with bellcast roof and wolf and lamb sculpture to ridge. Glazed link between loggia and octagonal glasshouse to N.

Formal water garden with associated hard and soft landscaping to S of walled garden. Remnants of earlier 18th century building (possibly old Auchavoulin House) at NE corner of walled garden with various carved stonework fragments incorporated into round-arched opening to E.

WALLED GARDEN TO NORTH: circa 1920s by F W Deas. Large, square-plan walled garden. Dark grey schist stone. Double-staircase with decorative carving in the style of Robert Lorimer rising to pedestrian entrance in W wall; carved panel above doorway depicting Greek god Pan surrounded by grape vines; elaborate fruit and flower carving to rounded pier caps; carved lions flanking doorway. Simple doorway to S wall. Single-storey lean-to range to N wall with muti-pane glazing to timber frame windows and grey slate to roof.

FORMER GLASSHOUSE AND WORKSHOP RANGE: circa 1930 by F W Deas with heated glasshouses by engineers, Mackenzie and Moncur. U-plan arrangement of garden offices, workshops and former heated glasshouses. Predominantly dark grey schist stonework. SOUTH WALL: 3 large, fan-lit, round-arched windows to central section; stepped gables to N (formerly glazed roof); flanked by half-piend slate roofed stores. Former greenhouse foundations and remnants of heating system to S. Tall chimney stack to right. Further workshops and office wings advancing to E and W, forming U-plan. Timber windows and grey slate.

Statement of Special Interest

Part of a B-Group comprising - Castle Toward; Castle Toward, Gate Lodge and Garage; Castle Toward, Walled Garden To East, Walled Garden To North and Glasshouse and Workshop Range; Castle Toward, Chinese Lakes including Bridges (See separate listings).

Collectively, the early 20th century re-modelling and extension of Toward's designed landscape provides an excellent and rare example of large scale estate development during the inter-war period in Scotland.

The walled gardens and former glasshouse and office range form an intervisible group of related garden structures, each with its own features of particular interest. The Lorimeresque loggia at the East walled garden and the staircase at the N walled garden are of particular architectural quality. The early 20th century work is also notable for its distinctive use of grey schist stone, layered in thin courses, providing a homogenous character to the 20th century ancillaries at Toward, distinguishing them from the earlier 19th century work. The U-plan range retains some elements of its heated glasshouses and the workshop buildings are constructed of the same quality schist.

Castle Toward was built by David Hamilton for Kirkman Finlay, a successful merchant and former Lord Provost in Glasgow. Between 1919 and 1945, new owner Major Andrew Coats, a member of a wealthy Paisley threadmaking family, invested huge sums of money into enlarging the estate at Toward. The house doubled in size and new buildings, additions and re-modelling of the existing estate and grounds were carried out by Coats's architect, Frank W Deas. Deas was a close friend of renowned Scottish architect Robert Lorimer whose Arts and Crafts approach had many similarities as seen in Deas ancillary garden buildings at Toward. Kellas House (see separate listing) in Moray is probably his finest work in the Scottish Art and Crafts manner.

References

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