Thorncroft, 12 And 12A Thornly Park Avenue, Paisley

Thorncroft is a large villa dating to 1899, designed by W D McLennan, with later subdivision occurring in the 1950s. The house is two storeys and an attic, and includes a single-storey wing to the rear. It is characterised by mock half-timbered gables, a bellcast-roofed circular tower, a verandah, and a balcony, along with a fine interior. The exterior is harled with contrasting red-painted dressings and features red-tiled aprons. Timber transoms and mullions are prominent.

The north (principal) elevation displays an asymmetrical design. Bays to the left of centre feature a dominant, gabled section with a truncated left pitch. A full-height, canted bay extends to the outer left, incorporating a 12-light transomed window and tile-hung aprons on both floors. Above, a jettied gablehead contains a small, bipartite window. To the right, a lower pitched roof extends over an open timber porch with a set-back, two-leaf panelled timber door. A brick chimney breast pierces the eaves, both behind and above the porch. The bays on the right of centre feature a pair of small inglenook windows near ground level and a transomed 10-light oriel stair window abutting the eaves. Windows on the outer right are similarly detailed to those on the left, and a low, horizontal 8-light dormer window sits under a catslide roof.

The west elevation is gabled and features a full-width verandah roof. Steps lead to a central bipartite window, and a canted tripartite window with a tile-hung apron is positioned at the outer left. There are two windows at the first floor and attic level, flanking a brick chimney breast. The circular tower, which clasps the outer right angle, has four lights on each floor.

The south elevation includes a canted French window near the centre, paired with a window to the left, both under a balcony with decorative timber balusters. The first floor features a modern French window to the centre and another window to the left. A horizontal 8-light, flat-roofed dormer is positioned to the left, and a similar tripartite window is located to the right. The circular tower (as described on the west elevation) is on the outer left, and a small screen wall is present to the right, with further windows at each floor level and the single-storey wing projecting at the outer right.

The east elevation combines various features, including a broad gable with a truncated brick chimney breast at first floor level, and a lower projecting bay at ground floor left.

The windows generally have 2-, 4-, and 6-pane glazing patterns over plate glass in timber casement frames, with coloured leaded glazing to the stair and inglenook windows. Some replacement windows have been introduced: one replacing a French window on the first floor south elevation, and another on the first floor west elevation. The roof is red-tiled, with flat-coped brick stacks topped with cans. Deeply overhanging eaves incorporate swept ‘studded’ bargeboarding.

The interior retains a fine decorative scheme, including decorative plasterwork, timber cornices, and architraved doors. Original light fittings remain. A screen door with coloured leaded glass leads to a full-height panelled stair hall, featuring an inglenook under a dog-leg staircase with fretwork-carved timber balusters and a cantilevered gallery. Original fireplaces, with timber surrounds and overmantels (except in the drawing room), are present. The attic has been converted into a billiard room (now a living room).

Saddleback-coped ashlar boundary walls, topped with squat pyramidal copes, enclose the property, along with circular gatepiers.