Evelyn Villas, 4 Holehouse Road, Kilmarnock

Evelyn Villas, built in 1903, are a pair of semi-detached, two-storey villas located at 1 Holehouse Road, Kilmarnock, designed by Gabriel Andrew of Andrew & Newlands. They are constructed in a hybrid Art & Crafts/Glasgow style, forming an L-plan. The exterior is largely harled and painted, with prominent red Ballochmyle ashlar bays and dressings.

The south (principal) elevation of numbers 1 and 3 showcases a pilastered entrance arch with an impost moulding that supports a projecting hoodmould with an oculus and decorative label stops. A brass bell-push is located on the left pilaster, and a step leads to a deeply recessed, timber-panelled door with glazed upper and flanking sections, and a swept, broken pediment above. A slightly arched cantilevered architraved canopy is supported by a central bracket and a semi-scrolled finial. To the left is a two-storey, five-light canted bay with a deep stone base course, transoms and mullions, a sill band to the first floor, and swept faux battlements breaking through the eaves. The first floor of the second bay features a high band course supporting a semi-circular arched window with stone voussoirs, an oculus detail at the springing line and a projecting moulded keystone. Numbers 2 and 4 are similar but with the plan reversed.

The west elevation adjoins neighbouring villas; the blind gable ends of numbers 1 and 3 have overhanging eaves and a wallhead stack with a curved base. The north (rear) elevation was not inspected in 2001, and the east elevation similarly adjoins neighbouring villas, with the blind gable ends of numbers 2 and 4 displaying overhanging eaves and a wallhead stack with a curved base.

Original timber windows with three-pane upper lights and single-pane sash and case lower lights are present on the principal elevation of number 1. The other three villas have replacement PVCu glazing. The doors have tall flanking lights and a square light with arched upper and lower edges. The roofs are piended, with red clay plain tiles, overhanging bracketed timber eaves, and a fairly shallow pitch. Red terracotta ridge tiles terminate in ornate ball and stalk finials at the apexes. Aluminium flashing has been used around the projections of the bays. Number 4 has Velux roof lights, and the outer gable features a harled and painted wallhead stack that gently curves outwards to a base, originally supporting four high terracotta pots (now missing from number 2). Painted cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted, along with concealed gutters and ornate hoppers.

The interior was not inspected in 2001.

Boundary walls and gatepiers are present for each pair of houses. They have a red sandstone base course, harled and painted walls with red sandstone copes that arch up into three flat plinths. The middle plinth supports an open-topped segmental pediment, while the ends of the wall arch up and wrap around cylindrical, harled gatepiers with deep neck copes, a projecting cornice and rounded caps. A matching single pier is positioned centrally, with walls to the flanks. A stepped arched wall extends to the east and west of the properties, incorporating matching piers.