42 London Road, Kilmarnock

42 London Road, Kilmarnock

A two-storey Italianate villa of circa 1869–1879, comprising a principal three-bay block with an asymmetrical plan and a single-storey L-plan wing adjoining to the right, which encloses a walled courtyard. The building is constructed in sandstone ashlar with polished dressings throughout.

The principal south-west elevation features a prominent Ionic distyle in antis portico set within a re-entrant angle, approached by four ashlar steps. The portico has a carved tympanum with acroteria angularia and shelters a two-leaf timber panelled door with glazed upper panels and an arched fanlight above. The left bay contains a shallow squared projection with a tripartite window at ground floor and a matching arched and pilastered tripartite window to the first floor, set on a corbelled course. The right bay is an advanced two-storey canted bay window with bipartite central lights and single windows to the sides at ground floor, and matching arched and pilastered windows to the first floor with recessed panels below. Above the portico is an arched bipartite window to the first floor. The single-storey wing to the right has an arched tripartite window to its centre.

Ground floor windows throughout have flat heads, whilst first floor windows are distinguished by semi-circular heads on fluted pilasters and columns. A base course with dentilled and modillioned cornice and blocking course runs around the building, continuing on all elevations.

The north-west elevation is a two-storey three-bay façade with a boundary wall partially concealing the ground floor. A window to the centre marks where a single-storey gabled glass house once stood. To the first floor are paired pilastered arched windows to the centre (the right one now blind) and matching arched windows to the outer bays.

The north-east rear elevation presents a shallow U-plan composition of two storeys and three bays. The central bay contains a door with a small window to its right, and directly above is a large tripartite staircase window extending the full height of the first floor. The advanced right bay features a three-sided canted bay window at ground floor with a bipartite centre and single windows to the sides, topped by an arched tripartite window to the first floor. The advanced left bay has a tall central window with narrow flanking lights and an arched bipartite window to the first floor. To the left, the rear of the single-storey wing has a multi-bayed elevation, now largely concealed by a much later boundary wall.

The south-east elevation shows the two-storey three-bay main house with the single-storey wing concealing the ground floor. To the first floor are paired pilastered arched windows to the centre and matching arched windows to the outer bays, now blind with central stone transoms. The ground floor accommodates a two-bay by two-bay projecting L-plan wing with a bipartite window to the end bay. The angle between them is enclosed by ashlar walls with corniced copes. A pair of taller squared ashlar gatepiers with corniced caps frames a later two-leaf timber gate, providing access to the courtyard.

Windows are two-pane timber sash and case throughout, with horned upper sashes to both storeys; those to the first floor are arched. Some stained glass appears in the rear tripartite staircase window. The roof is piended grey slate with aluminium ridging, flashings and valleys. Cast-iron rainwater goods feature gutters concealed behind the cornice and downpipes to the south-east elevation with cast-iron rectangular hoppers with triangular bases. Panelled and corniced ashlar stacks with paired cans rise from the roofline; formerly matched pairs of wallhead stacks to the side elevations have been lowered to base course level. A smaller ashlar roofline stack with corniced coping and two plain cans serves the single-storey wing.

The interior retains a pair of tall Corinthian columns to the partially panelled entrance hall. Timber-panelled internal doors, window surrounds and some walls feature throughout. Ornate timber and marble fireplaces with over-mantels, decorative plaster panelled ceilings, cornices and ceiling roses are notable, with timber picture rails in some rooms. A varnished timber staircase with an ornate turned newel post provides vertical circulation.

The outer boundary wall has been altered, presenting a single course to the main road and a lowered coursed rubble wall to the south-east elevation. Gatepiers are decorated with acroteria. A much later harled wall encloses the rear of the property. The courtyard walls and inner gatepiers are described under the south-east elevation.