Rawcliffe Lodge, 29 Mansionhouse Road, Glasgow

Rawcliffe Lodge, 29 Mansionhouse Road, Glasgow

Rawcliffe Lodge is a large Franco-Scots Renaissance villa, probably designed by John Burnet (senior) and dated 1862 on its doorcase. It was enlarged by John Burnet (senior) in 1874, and underwent alterations in 1919 for use as a Carmelite Monastery. The building is mostly two storeys with basement and attic.

The walls are constructed of squared and snecked stugged ashlar with a deep base course, string course and cill course. The predominantly piended slated roof features crow-stepped gables, towers, and some decoratively pedimented windows. The building displays a profusion of carved decorative, figurative and initial motifs bearing the letters ABS and FS.

The northwest elevation features an off-centre advanced entrance block with a pedimented doorcase decorated with a thistle motif, surmounted by an engaged pyramidal roof breaking the eaves. To the left is a deeply recessed battlemented block. To the right, a tower is set in a re-entrant angle of the advanced block, with a further advanced narrow low two-bay gable to the far right.

The southeast elevation presents a long asymmetrical garden front. A recessed stair tower with an entrance door surmounted by a pyramidal roof stands at the far left. A four-bay block with a five-light bow window at ground floor follows. To the right is a one-bay crow-stepped gable section flanked by engaged towers. At the far right is a projecting bay at ground floor with paired crow-stepped gableheads above and five-light bow windows to the right at ground and first floors.

The southwest elevation displays a two-bay gable with a corbelled oriel window at first floor, flanked by carved figurative panels depicting Literature and Art.

The northeast elevation has its ground floor obscured by a later addition, with a large crow-stepped stack corbelled out at first floor. Linked brick laundry buildings to the north feature decorative ventilators.

The building incorporates a variety of glazing types, including mullioned and/or transomed windows, timber sash and case windows, leaded, stained and painted glass. Dominant stacks to the northwest and southeast elevations are decorated with carved shell motifs. Cast iron rainwater goods are present throughout. Grey slates and some iron brattishing complete the external finish.

Interior

The ground floor formerly contained a drawing room and dining room, now altered to form an antechoir, choir and chapel. The choir retains a wooden coffered ceiling. The former library is now subdivided. Its five-light bow window to the southeast has upper panels depicting literary subjects, framed by impressive timber panelling flanked by intricately carved fluted columns. Glass-fronted bookcases with carved bases stand beneath an arcaded frieze with applied plaques and decorative timber ceiling. Further stained and painted glass appears to the northwest. The main staircase features a carved newel-post inscribed "Nobilis Ira".

The stair tower contains a nine-panel stained and painted glass window depicting Stewart ancestry with the main panel showing Mary, Queen of Scots, inscribed "Kier, Glasgow, 1874". A six-panel stained and painted glass window below depicts St Andrew above.

The second floor formerly served as an art gallery. The top-lit room to the northwest is now subdivided but retains an open timber ceiling with painted corbels supporting carved bracing and a large hooded fireplace. Off this is a circular tower room with dado height panelling and timber ceiling. In the hallway facing northwest stands a large six-panel stained glass window. The room to the southwest is now subdivided with a false ceiling, but retains an impressive painted timber coombed ceiling supporting a gabled top light at the apex with fluted paterae. Large ceiling panels of painted glass depict among others Cimabue, Donatello and Inigo Jones; some panels are repeated, some reversed.

Elsewhere within the building are marble and cast iron fireplaces, decorative cornices, and further stained and painted glass.

Gates, Piers and Boundary Walls

Massive gothic-inspired square gate piers with tapered caps mark the main entrance, with further similar piers to the left of the stables entrance and to the entrance to the south, now infilled. Lesser square piers with ball finials intersperse highly ornate railings with matching gates. A coursed squared stone wall to the south of Mansionhouse Road has later infill and stone substitute. A high coursed squared stone wall bounds the property to Millbrae Road. A severely altered stone stepped terrace lies in the garden to the southeast.

Former Stable Block (29a)

The former stable block, circa 1862, is a single-storey building with attic in an L-plan, constructed of squared and snecked stugged ashlar with a painted courtyard elevation. The southeast courtyard elevation features decorative applied timber truncated gable. The southwest elevation has a dormer to the left with an engaged pyramidal roof and a tall stack. To the right are high-level small square glazed windows. The building has been altered.