Dower House, Millbank, Ascog, Bute

The Millbank Stables and Coach House, located in Ascog on the Isle of Bute, date from the mid to later 19th century. Originally a pair of service buildings – a coach house and stables to the west, and a dower house to the east – they are now converted into residential use and linked by a single-storey wall with a car port to the north. The buildings are constructed of harl-pointed random rubble sandstone with polished sandstone margins, and polished strip quoins. They feature overhanging corniced eaves, droved rubble quoins, droved surrounds to openings, and projecting cills. Segmental-arched openings are predominantly used at ground level, while decorative timber gableheads top the dormers which break the eaves. A cobbled courtyard lies within.

The southwest-facing (courtyard) elevation of the former dower house has irregularly-disposed segmental-arched openings at ground level and four regularly-spaced gableheaded dormers above. A pitched car port adjoins the left of centre. The northeast-facing (rear) elevation has a single timber door with a segmental-arched surround and plate glass fanlight in the penultimate bay to the outer left, with a window above. A further window is present at the first floor, and a single window at both floors within the bay to the outer left. A single window is set off-centre to the right, and a projecting lean-to conservatory occupies the remaining bays, with a gableheaded dormer breaking the eaves in the bay to the outer right.

The northeast-facing (courtyard) elevation of the former stables and coach house is dominated by a central ground-floor timber door with a plate-glass fanlight, and a bullseye window above. Single windows are present at ground level in the remaining bays to the left and right, with bullseye windows aligned above the windows to the left of centre. Gableheaded dormers break the eaves in the penultimate bays to the outer left and right, and in the bay to the outer right. A pitched car port is adjoined to the right of centre.

Replacement glazing is now present throughout, some in uPVC. The roofs are covered with graded grey slate, with replacement rainwater goods. Corniced sandstone ashlar ridge and apex stacks are topped with octagonal cans. The interior was not inspected in 1996.

A harl-pointed random rubble boundary wall with ashlar coping encloses the courtyard to the southeast. Panelled yellow sandstone ashlar gate piers with square plinths and slightly pyramidal caps flank the vehicular entrance. A cobbled courtyard is contained within the wall.