Bloomhill Lodge, Carman Road, Cardross

Bloomhill Lodge, Carman Road, Cardross

Bloomhill Lodge is a substantial Jacobethan villa dating from circa 1838, with mid-19th century additions. It is a 2-storey, 4-bay building of rambling plan with gabled elements, constructed in squared and snecked red sandstone with honey-coloured sandstone margins and dressings. The building features a base course, quoins, Jacobethan pediment, hoodmoulds, strapwork detail, and basket-arched windows at first floor level.

The south (entrance) elevation comprises a 3-bay main block with symmetrically disposed bays and a later, broader gabled bay advanced to the outer right. A central advanced porch with basket-arched door is topped by a pedimented gable with a blank plaque in the gablehead. Above this sits a tripartite window beneath a hoodmould, with a finialled gable, ashlar coping to the skews and kneelers, and a round-headed blind light in the gablehead. The flanking symmetrical bays are slightly projecting with ashlar margins at ground level and stop-chamfered arrises, with smaller windows at first floor and shouldered gabled dormerheads breaking the eaves. The outer right gable features a slightly advanced tripartite window at ground level, a cornice continued as a dividing string course above a bipartite window, strapwork detailing, a small bipartite attic window, and ashlar coping to the skew and skewputts.

The west elevation shows a 3-bay main block with a service block to the left. An ornately finialled gabled bay slightly advanced to the right features ashlar coping to the skews and kneelers, and a full-height canted window with a crenellated blocking course. A narrow central bay has a blocked window at ground level with a hoodmould and a window at first floor with a gabled dormerhead. The outer left bay is slightly advanced with ashlar cladding, a bipartite window at ground level and a basket-arched window at first floor, with a gabled dormerhead breaking the eaves. The left return has windows at ground and first floor with a dormerhead breaking over. A 4-bay service wing is recessed to the left, with the first floor of the centre block jettied on a single sandstone pillar, creating a covered area at ground level. A broad terminating gable is slightly advanced to the outer left.

The north elevation is irregular with an advanced gabled wing to the left. The roof is covered in grey slate with lead flashings, red sandstone ridge and wallhead stacks with ashlar coping, ashlar coping to the skews and skewputts, and kneelers and block skewputts. A plate glass top-hopper window with stained hardwood is a notable feature. The interior was not seen at the time of the 1995 survey.

South Lodge, also dating from circa 1838 with later 19th century and modern alterations, is a single-storey rectangular-plan building originally of 3 bays, now extended to 5 bays. It is constructed in coursed red sandstone with honey-coloured sandstone margins and dressings, a base course, and an eaves course. The east (avenue) elevation shows the 3-bay original block with additions in sympathetic style. A gabled bay advanced at centre features a recessed panel at the centre with a 3-centred former door now blocked as a window and a blank plaque in the gablehead. An entrance to the right has a recessed modern porch door, with a small window to the outer right. Two bays to the left include a slightly recessed penultimate bay.

The gates, gatepiers and boundary wall comprise paired gatepiers with a battered base in honey sandstone with some red sandstone detailing. The main piers have stop-chamfered arrises, blank plaque detail, and gabletted sawtooth finialled caps, with the finial on the right pier missing. A pedestrian gate to the left is set on a broad pier with a stop-chamfered arise and pyramidal cap. The outer right pier is narrower with a pyramidal cap. A tall stugged red sandstone wall with harl and cement pointing features ashlar semicircular coping. Wrought-iron 2-leaf gates serve the drive with a single pedestrian gate alongside.