Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

William Leiper, 1888. Asymmetrical, 2-storey, English Domestic style L-plan house with single storey and attic, M-gabled wing to SE. Predominantly squared and snecked, lightly bull-faced granite; red sandstone dressings; red tile hanging in part to principal block; half-timbering with harl to SE wing. Base course; moulded sandstone string course to principal block; overhanging timber bracketed eaves throughout. Sandstone quoins and long and short surrounds to chamfered openings; predominantly sandstone mullions; chamfered cills. Includes former artist's studio.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: projecting, gabled porch off-set to left of centre with round-arched central opening; trefoil-headed side-lights; quatrefoil uppers; scalloped bargeboards; tiled vestibule; shouldered-arched entrance centred within; 2-leaf boarded timber door with decorative hinges. 2-storey gable end to right with 4-light canted windows centred at both floors beneath overhanging gablehead; wallhead stack to right. Plain elevation to lower wing recessed to outer right. Single storey wing to outer left with large, gabled window breaking eaves at centre.

NW ELEVATION: 2-storey gable end to left with 4 light canted windows centred at both floors beneath stepped, overhanging gablehead (projecting, timber-bracketed tile-hanging at 1st floor). Pointed-arched bipartite window centred at ground. Piend-roofed single window breaking eaves off-set to right; wallhead stack adjoined to outer right.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay principal block with window at ground off-set to right of centre; timber-mullioned bipartite window above. 4-light canted windows at both floors beneath overhanging gablehead to outer left. Window at ground to outer right; timber-mullioned bipartite window beneath uneven, gabled dormerhead breaking eaves above. Single storey, 2-bay wing projecting to right with timber-mullioned bipartite window to left; window to right.

SE ELEVATION: 5-bay gabled wing projecting to left with bipartite window at ground off-set to left of centre; boarded timber doors flanking at ground; windows at ground to outer left and right; timber-mullioned bipartite window centred in gablehead; catslide dormer to right. Window centred in gabled wing projecting to right; window in lean-to addition to left; gabled porch recessed to outer right. Principal block recessed at centre with large bipartite window to left; wallhead stack to right.

Predominantly timber windows with plate glass lowers, decorative leaded uppers; decorative leaded windows to entrance front; plate glass timber sash and case and casement windows (some with 4- and 6-pane uppers) to SE, SW and NW. Grey slate roof; red tile ridging; timber bargeboards (bolted in part). Granite wallhead and gablehead stacks with red sandstone dressings; circular terracotta cans. Decorative iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: timber arcaded staircase with pointed arches and turned balustres; corner stone fireplace and small leaded and stained glass round arched window to hall. Sideboard recess with timber architrave and decorative arch to dinning room. Timber fireplaces elsewhere. Access to interior not possible at time of survey (1999).

GATEPIERS and GATE: ball-finialled, square-plan gatepiers flanking pedestrian entrance; timber gate. Rectangular-plan gatepiers flanking vehicular entrance to SE; near-pyramidal, rendered caps; modern gate.

Statement of Special Interest

William Leiper RSA (1839-1916) is recognised as one of Scotland's leading Art and Crafts architects and designers. "Leiper began practising in Glasgow in 1865 and early success in a competition for the design of Dowanhill Church made him a challenger to John Honeyman as the city's leading Gothic architect. For twenty years he was in the vanguard of the Anglo-Japanese manner, working closely in conjunction with Daniel Cottier. He designed many churches but his special strength lay in domestic architecture. His interiors were stamped with such a distinctive personal impress that they are referred to as 'Leiperian'. He is also responsible for designing one of Scotland's most extraordinary Victorian buildings, the Italian Gothic extravaganza incorporating polychromatic brickwork, for the Templeton Carpet Factory. In the 1880s, Leiper moved away from a Gothic style toward the Free School approach of Richard Norman Shaw, designing many houses in the Helensburgh area" (McEwan). Ganavan House is probably the only example of Leiper's domestic work in north-west Argyllshire, demonstrating one of the architect's finest examples in the English domestic style, closely linked to houses he designed at Aros, Rhu, 1880 and Albion Lodge, Helensburgh, 1883 (see separate listings). Built for Mrs MacArthur, wife of the proprietor of the Alexandra Hotel, Oban. Ganavan House was described by his assistant McNab as being "?built of local grey granite, timber oriels, half-timbered gables, of simple domestic character" (RIBA Journal). Ganavan House remains largely unaltered (unlike Albion Lodge); features of particular note include the tile-hanging, half-timbering and leaded windows and the unusual added feature of a purpose-built artist?s studio (unique to this house-plan). The fine timber detailed 'Leiperian' interiors of the house have been recently reinstated to their original condition by the current owners, including an arcaded timber screen to the hall and stairs (2002).

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.