1-18 Ardenconnel House, Manse Brae, Rhu

Ardenconnel House, Manse Brae, Rhu

A substantial classical mansion designed by David Hamilton around 1790. The building comprises a principal 2-storey structure over a raised basement arranged in an L-plan, with a later single-storey wing to the east and possibly an earlier rectangular gabled block to the rear. The whole is constructed in cream-painted harled stone with honey-coloured sandstone margins and dressings, featuring a base course, band course, string courses, eaves band and cornice, quoin strips, and chamfered reveals throughout.

The south (entrance) elevation presents a symmetrical 7-bay façade with a sympathetic modern single-storey, 3-bay addition to the outer right. At the centre stands a lower, slightly recessed entrance block with stone steps and platt leading to the door. The entrance is distinguished by a tripartite ashlar bay containing a Corinthian columned doorpiece porch that supports a fluted frieze and balustraded balcony, with the columns answered by Corinthian pilasters flanking the approach. The door itself is fielded-panelled with a large rectangular plate-glass fanlight and flanking sidelights. Two windows are symmetrically disposed at the centre of the first floor. The flanking, slightly advanced wings are near-symmetrical, each of 3 bays, with the left wing containing paired basement windows at its centre. The principal floor features a round-headed ashlar panel at centre bearing a window with blind side panels, flanked by further windows; smaller windows are symmetrically disposed at basement and first floor levels. A 3-bay single-storey block continues the composition, articulated by a base course and band, with a tripartite window at its centre and flanking narrow windows, concluding in a canted bay on the right return.

The west elevation displays a 3-bay main block adjoined by a lower, slightly recessed 4-bay block with mansard attic roof to the outer left, and a single-storey flat-roofed block in the re-entrant angle. A full-height canted sandstone bay projects at the outer right, whilst symmetrical bays to the left feature segmental-arched panels with tripartite segmental windows and blind sidelights at principal floor level. The basement contains semi-circular tripartite windows with blinded sidelights and deeply stugged classical margins, with a blind fanlight. A round-headed ashlar panel marks the principal floor to the left with a window at centre, blind sidelights, and a blind fanlight; first-floor windows are symmetrically disposed, that to the left being bipartite with a timber mullion. The 4-bay block to the left groups windows in paired bays, symmetrically disposed except at basement level, whilst square dormers with pedimented gablets rise at centre, the rightmost incorporating an apex stack.

The north (rear) elevation features a lower, possibly earlier, 3-bay asymmetrical gabled block set in the re-entrant angle of the main block and wing. At the outer left, a tripartite window with stone mullions appears at ground level, directly above which sits a first-floor window, while two stair windows occupy the centre bay; windows are symmetrically disposed from ground to second floor at the outer right. A sandstone oculus marks the upper floor between the penultimate and outer right bays. Square and piend-roofed dormers rise across this elevation. A moulded eaves cornice runs the full width, higher than the adjoining wing to the right. The 5-bay wing advanced to the right has a sixth narrow bay by the re-entrant angle to the left. Two segmental-headed arches appear at ground level to the left, that in the penultimate bay now blocked as a window; further windows rise through first and second floors symmetrically disposed, those at first-floor level being segmental-headed with raised cills, whilst those above the inner arch are 16-pane sash and case windows. A mansard roof carries 12-pane sash and case attic windows symmetrically disposed, with a stack featuring a gabled pedestal between two end windows to the right. A modern bay is recessed at the outer right.

Throughout the building, plate-glass sash and case windows serve the main elevation, whilst 12-pane sash and case windows characterise the rear elevation, with some modern replacements evident. The roof combines grey slate piend and platform work on the main structure with a mansard roof over the rear wing.

The interior was not examined at the time of survey in 1993.