1-4 Laggary House, Pier Road, Rhu

Laggary House, Pier Road, Rhu

A mid 19th-century Italianate house in two storeys, comprising four bays arranged in a rectangular plan with campanile towers to the south-west and north-east. The building is constructed in coursed, honey-coloured ashlar sandstone with sandstone dressings and margins. Windows feature chamfered and moulded reveals with stone mullions. A base course with channelled base and plinth runs along the south-west, string courses define the floor levels, quoin strips mark the angles, and an eaves band runs beneath the projecting, bracketed eaves. Pierced sandstone balconies on decorative consoles enliven the main elevations.

The north-west entrance elevation presents four asymmetrical bays. The main three-bay block is offset by a recessed bay to the outer left, which contains an advanced open porch with shouldered arches and decorative balustrading to both sides. The balustraded parapet above this forms a first-floor balcony. The tripartite door features two-leaf panelling with lying-pane sidelights and is set within a deeply recessed glazed vestibule. A three-stage campanile tower rises to the outer right with windows at ground and principal floor levels, the upper stage having a tripartite arcaded window with balcony. To the left of the porch, a two-bay symmetrical block contains two ground-floor windows with a small central window, and two first-floor windows. The outer left section is a lower block with a ground-floor window to the right and two first-floor windows.

The south-west garden elevation displays five bays. A three-stage campanile dominates the outer left with tripartite and single windows at ground and first-floor levels respectively, both with panelled aprons and corbelled cills. At the upper stage, a tripartite arcaded window with balcony is set within an entablature supported on consoles at principal-floor level. A lower, slightly recessed three-bay block adjoins to the right, featuring a canted central window flanked by blank windows. Three symmetrically disposed first-floor windows are set above a balustraded parapet carried on dentil brackets, with decorative stone brackets applied to the eaves band beneath. A taller block terminates the elevation to the outer right, with a ground-floor window, a tripartite first-floor window with balcony, and a pentice with consoled slab coping.

The south-east elevation comprises seven asymmetrical bays with a single-storey block to the outer right that supports a timber bridge connecting from the embankment to principal-floor level at the north-east side. A three-bay block to the outer left contains an advanced central bay with tripartite ground-floor window and single first-floor window with balcony and entablature; the flanking bays are blank to the left and fenestrated at first floor to the right. A lower three-bay block to the right has first-floor windows united by a balcony. A panelled door with canopy on cast-iron brackets resting on sandstone corbels is positioned at ground left, topped by a four-pane fanlight window; two further windows occupy the ground level to the right. A three-stage campanile tower rises at the far right with a ground-floor window, tripartite first-floor window with balcony, and three windows at the upper stage. The single-storey block contains three symmetrically disposed windows with the timber access bridge above.

The north-east rear elevation is largely modernised with a dry-dash rendered block to the outer left, behind which the campanile rises. The main block is harled with sandstone dressings and margins. A single-storey link block adjoins to the right of the campanile with a ground-floor door, a central bipartite window, and a narrow window to the right. An advanced block further right contains a door now blocked as a window at centre with flanking windows and a first-floor window to the outer left. A separate single-storey, flat-roofed block stands detached to the north-west. The stonework is sandstone on the north-west and south-west sides, with rendered finishes on the south-east. Originally, these single-storey elements formed a continuous range connected to the north-east block.

Windows throughout are eight-pane sash and case type with four-lying-pane glazing. The roof is covered in grey slate with piend and platformed forms, the campanile towers being piend-roofed. Broad sandstone corniced wallhead and ridge stacks punctuate the roofline.

The interior retains significant period features. The wainscot hall is enriched with an egg-and-dart cornice and entablatures over doorways. A black marble chimneypiece with blue glazed fire tiles is topped by a wooden pedimented centrepiece. The ceiling is compartmentalised with a floral motif at the centre of each panel. A cantilevered stone staircase with decorative cast-iron balusters rises past a leaded stair window incorporating stained-glass armorial details. An octagonal leaded cupola crowns the landing.