Brantwoode, 4 Munro Drive West, Helensburgh, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute

Description

William Leiper, 1895. 2-storey, L-plan asymmetrical Arts and Crafts/ Shavian Old English villa. Red sandstone rake-jointed and snecked rubble, ashlar dressings, jettied red tile-hung at 1st floor, mock half-timber gableheads. Ashlar mullions to windows at ground, timber at 1st floor; bargeboarded gables.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: single storey and attic bay to centre flanked by 2-storey gabled bays, porch off-centre right, service wing to outer left. Tripartite mullioned and transomed window to single storey to centre with roof swept down above and tripartite tile-hung dormer to right. 2-storey, gabled bay to outer right with mock half-timber and brick gabled porch projecting to left, narrow windows flanking entrance with cusped lead-pane glazing and pierced quatrefoils above, segmental-arched doorpiece with chamfered arrises, 2-leaf boarded door with decorative iron hinges, half-glazed and panelled vestibute door with lead-pane glazing inset with textured panels, Art Nouveau style latch door handle. Bipartite window to outer right. Tripartite window above, small window to left above porch. M-gabled bays to left intercepted by projecting service wing with tall brick stack between; bay to right with tripartite mullioned and transomed stair window stepped above roof pitch of adjoining wing, geometric lead-pane glazing; gabled bay to outer left with bipartite window at 1st floor. Lower 2-storey service wing abutting (see below).

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: canted window at ground, (1-2-1), small inglenook window to outer right; canted bipartite window above.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: tripartite window to centre at ground with relieving arch. Bracketted fishscale tile-hung balcony above with tripartite French window set in gabled bay behind. Taller canted and gabled bay to right with 4-light mullioned and transomed window at ground flanked by window on return to left and French window to right; mock half-timber to 1st floor with bipartite mullioned and transomed window. Semi-octagonal mullioned and transomed window to right angle, (1-2-2-2-1); small bipartite window above to S elevation. Small inglenook window to left of centre, divided from tripartite window to left by off-set buttress; gabled dormerheaded bipartite window above. Sandstone off-set wallhead stack to left with brick banding.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: small inglenook window to left of semi-octagonal window, bipartite window to far left (plate glass to lower sash, multi-pane to upper sash). Tripartite window at 1st floor to outer left. Service wing to outer right (see below).

SERVICE WING: stugged red sandstone rubble at ground, red tile-hung gableheads. Gambrel roof N, bipartite window to gablehead, modern garage garage abutting. Tripartite window to W elevation. E elevation, gabled bay to left with bipartite window off-centre right, half-glazed shed abutting to left, small window to gablehead above. Window to outer right.

Lead-pane casement windows with geometic decorative pattern where mentioned above; 6-pane casement windows to service wing and dormer window to N, sash and case bipartite with small pane upper sash, plate glass lower sash. Green tiled roof, red ridge tiles, tall corniced brick stacks.

INTERIOR: fine decorative scheme and period details. Stone chimneypiece to hall, mantel inscribed "in the world a home in the home my world"; timber balustered quarter-turn stair. Wainscot to principal reception rooms with timber beamed ceilings, fine stone carved chimneypieces (timber overmantle to drawing room, gilded Morris design wallpaper above chimneypiece to living room). Stone chimneypiece to parlour. Original door and light fittings. Timber chimneypieces to 1st floor bedrooms; former bedroom converted to Art Deco bathroom in 1930's containing vitriolic tiles and fine mirror. Original secondary glazing on sliding track to 1st floor windows. Original laundry sinks and bath to service quarters.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: red sandstone rubble wall with red sandstone ashlar octagonal piers, corbelled conical caps with small ball finials.

GARAGE: rectangular-plan garage situated to NE corner of garden. Harled with mock half-timber detail to N gable. Timber mullioned windows, overhanging eaves. 2-leaf boarded doors to N; tripartite window to W elevation with small window to outer right. Bipartite window to S with gambrel roof.

GARDEN GATE: fine decorative iron gate dividing kitchen garden from main garden to E of villa.

Statement of Interest

Built for J Alexander. Brantwoode is one of Leiper:s smaller villas influenced by Richard Norman Shaw. It is exceptionally fine, well grouped with attractive use of red sandstone masonry, red tile-hanging and mock half-timber detail in a variety of patterns. The villa is largely unaltered (except for a 1930's bathroom formerly a bedroom) and contains most of its original fittings including a pull down bath in the service qauaters and secondary glazing in one of the bedrooms. Brantwoode has an unusual plan with all the reception rooms and bedrooms interconnecting (although the plans show that the bedrooms were originally intended to be separate).

External Links

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