Tower Rais, Darnley Road, Barrhead

Tower Rais, Darnley Road, Barrhead

A castellated-Tudor villa of 1870, comprising two storeys over a raised and battered basement, with a distinctive 3-stage mock machicolated square entrance tower. The building is constructed of coursed yellow sandstone with raised ashlar margins. Its architectural features include a base course, low relief corbel table below crenellated parapets, piend and platform roofs hidden by parapets, and slit windows to the basement.

The east elevation has three bays plus the tower bay to the outer right. A canted bay window with a bipartite light above sits to the outer left, with two bays of bipartite windows to the ground floor and single windows above. A stone stair sits in the re-entrant angle of the tower, accompanied by cast-iron acanthus railings and a lamp standard on a low coped wall. A timber panelled door leads to the entrance, with a single window above and a bipartite window to the third floor of the tower.

The north elevation features two bays plus an engaged tower bay to the left, with a tripartite window to the ground, a bipartite above, and a 4-light window to the third floor. A central canted window has a tripartite window above. The right side contains a service wing with 3 over 3 windows.

The west elevation has a central round-arched stair window and a single first floor window to the right, with an advanced service wing to the left containing two first floor windows.

The south elevation contains 2 over 2 windows.

Single and bipartite windows are used throughout the main elevation, those to the ground having square-headed hoodmoulds. The 4-light canted bay windows to the east and north elevations feature similar corbel table treatment to the main parapet. Windows are timber sash and case with plate glass.

The roof is covered in grey slates with coped ashlar stacks topped with clay cans, many of which retain their original moulded distinctive diaper pattern. Cast-iron rainwater goods are in place.

To the rear, a single-storey former byre forms one side of an enclosed courtyard. Its north elevation has a later door and three slit windows. The courtyard wall has one later and one original opening on the west side. Modern alterations have been made to the courtyard interior, including conversion of the byre to a chapel and incorporation of a modern garage in the south elevation of the former outbuildings.

Boundary walls, gatepiers and railings comprise a coped rubble boundary wall to Darnley Road with square ashlar gatepiers to the east entrance, topped with pyramidal caps, and cast-iron railings and gates. Machicolated piers mark the west entrance.

The interior retains a fine original decorative scheme with plasterwork, chimneypieces and stencilled woodwork. Stained parquet floors remain intact to the ground floor rooms.

The inner vestibule features a timber door with an etched glass panel and leaded surround, with a central panel painted with a dove of peace.

The hall contains a Renaissance revival dark timber scale-and-platt stair with turned arcaded balustrades and baluster newel posts with gadrooned urn newels. Deep cornices and a foliate ceiling rose are present, with a diaper and rectangular pattern ceiling incorporating a rope motif. An oval mirror with a rope border, possibly original, hangs here. A fine round-arched stair window at the half-landing features border-glazed red and blue foliate-etched surrounds with a central section depicting a basket of fruit and scrolling foliate motifs.

The dining room retains original pine doors and window surrounds with black geometric stencilling. A polished black slate chimneypiece with red tiled hearth, rosette cornice, and embossed Baroque-style frieze are present, along with a lily ceiling rose.

The sitting room has a mutuled and dentilled cornice with rosettes and foliate plasterwork to the corners. A dark timber panelled door with ten fields stencilled in stylised geometric designs in black and yellow leads through. A polished black slate chimneypiece with a key-blocked round-arched inset, red tiles and copper hood sits opposite.

The drawing room, with white-painted woodwork, features an elaborate fern-moulded rose and cornice, a geometric plasterwork ceiling in the bay with a small ceiling rose, bands of stars and rosettes, and a classical-style embossed frieze. A grey marble round-arched chimneypiece with grey tiles and brass insert is present, with panelled double-slide doors opening to the ante room.

The ante room has plasterwork matching the drawing room, a built-in glazed timber display cupboard, and a grey marble round-arched chimneypiece with red tiles and metal hood. A pierced brass door plate, probably original, is fitted.

The first floor hall features dark panelled doors and fitted low cupboards.