Cairndhu House, Cairndhu Gardens, Helensburgh, Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute

Description

William Leiper, 1871; addition to service wing by Leiper, 1902;

interior decoration by Daniel Cottier. 2-storey and attic, asymmetrical, almost square-plan French Renaissance style villa with finely decorated interior. Squared, coursed and stugged grey sandstone with polished cream ashlar dressings. Tall moulded base course; cill courses; frieze and cornice. Bipartite and multi-partite, mostly ashlar mullioned and trasomed windows; moulded reveals.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: curved angle to outer left expressed as an engaged circular tower with French Pavilion roof, lower 3-bay wing recessed to right with circular stair tower in re-entrant angle, entrance porch adjoining to outer right (see below). Bipartite window at ground to right of stiar tower with cornice and pendants; fluted apron above to pilastered, bipartite window at 1st floor with entablature; pedimented, pilastered dormer above with finials. Similar arrangement of windows to right without cornice, pendants and apron above ground floor window. Slightly advanced gabled bay to far right with canted window at ground, arranged (1-3-1) with side windows flanked by flued and banded pilasters, balustraded parapet with ball finials. Architraved tripartite window above. Winodw to gablehead with semi-circular pediment, sculpted tympanum, finial; ball finials block skewputts, kneelers and gable apex. Porch to outer right see below. 3-stage stair turret in re-entrant angle, string courses, window to each stage, corbelled parapet (roof removed). Curved "tower" bay to outer left with slightly advnace bay to centre, bipartite window at ground; similar window at 1st floor with balustraded baloncy supported on heavy console brackets with incised decoration, fluted pilasters, frieze decorated with patera; moulded apron above to dormer with twin semi-circular arched windows with colonnette between and flanking, shaped finialled gable with sculptured medallion to gablehead. single windows flanking at ground and 1st floor. Architraved ashlar dormer on return to left (W), flat roof, shaped sculptured pediment with mask to centre; group of 3 tall ploygonal corniced stacks adjoining to left on stepped wallhead base. Semi-conical roof to tower crowned by lantern. PORCH: single storey entrance block with entablature and blocking course, balustraded with ball finials on S elevation, continued from canted window to left. PORCH TO S flanked by composite columns, lion rampant shield to frieze, responding pilasters flanking semi-circular headed doorway set in squared panel with roll-moulding, modern (1990) aluminium door. Marble floor to vestibule, barrel-vaulted timber roof, shouldered-arch doorway with 2-leaf panelled doors and half-glazed vestibule door. 2 bay return to right (E) with single window to left, 4-light window to right with stained glass, similar window on N return. E (SIDE) ELEVATION: bipartite window to right above entrance block, window to left, gablehead above with kneelers, ball finials and group polygonal stacks at apex. Gabled return to right (N) with bipartite attic window to gable. Advanced bay to right with bipartie window to right and window to left, 2 dormers above.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: semi-circular headed Elizabethan stair window to centre, gable bays flanking. Group of polygonal stacks to apex to left gable; bipartite attic window to right gable. Lower service wings projecting. Single storey block to centre with piended roof. Taller 2-storey gabled wing to left, 2 cigar stacks to apex with arcaded cornice, modern additions abutting. 2-storey block to outer right with jettied half-timbering at 1st floor (1902), supported on wooden brackets with stone corbels, doorway with stone forestair to left, door blocked as window to right, window to left at 1st floor, return to left with 2 windows at 1st floor, return to right with bipartite window at ground and window at 1st flor.

W ELEVATION: 2 slightly recessed bays to centre with 2 windows at

ground and 1st floor, pedimented ashlar dormer above to centre with flat-roofed dormers flanking; curved SW angle to outer right noted above. Gabled bay to left with bipartite window at ground, window at 1st floor, group of polygonal corniced stacks at apex. Single storey and attic wing advanced to left, bipartite window at ground, window above breaking eaves with pedimented dormerhead. Half-timbered wing to outer left (see above).

Plater glass casement windows. Grey/green slate roof; groups of ashlar corniced, polygonal stacks, some noted above; original rainwater goods. INTERIOR: exceptional interior with stained glass windows and stencil work decoration to timber panelled ceilings by Cottier. Hall: wainscot, timber beamed ceiling with sunflower motif, ashlar chimneypiece with lion head corbels below mantelpiece, timber overmantel with scrolled pediment. Timber balustraded screen dividing hall from stair, timber balustered dog-leg stair. Drawing-room: wainscot, marble Rococo style chimneypiece, coved ceiling with finely detailed floreate and foliated Japanese influenced decoration. Dining-room: wainscot, original timber chimneypiece, stencilled timber panelled ceiling with beams supported on corbels with carved angles.

Stained glass: by Daniel Cottier; lead-pane glazing with stained glass figurative and bird panels framed by sunflowers. Similar decorated panels to stair window including lion rampant and Glasgow coat of arms panels.

Statement of Interest

A Group with Cairndhu Lodge with boundary walls and gatepiers listed separately. Built for John Ure, flour miller and merchant, Lord Provost of Glasgow. Richly decorated interior, one of the finest of Anglo-Japanese in Scotland. Now in use as a residential nursing home.

External Links

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