Penkill Castle

Penkill Castle is a small castle positioned on the south bank of the Girvan Water, sited on a peninsular ravine-edge. It is built of rubble with crowstepped gables and slated roofs.

The nucleus of the castle is a small square tower dating from the late 16th century, measuring 26 feet by 21 feet, comprising 3 storeys and a basement with pepperpot turrets at the north-west and south-east corners and originally a circular stair tower at the north-east. A lower wing running east-west was built onto the north gable in 1628, measuring 2 storeys and basement, producing an L-plan castle of stepped profile. The north wing had become ruinous by the early 19th century and was rebuilt in 1857 to a design by the then owner Spencer Boyd and the Glasgow civil engineer A G Thomson. The south gable of the original tower house was designed at the same date. The new work included a large circular stair corbelled out at upper levels and similar in profile to the original north-east tower, but with a machicolated parapet and stepped crenellation. There is a round-arched doorway with a quatrefoil light at a sculptured tympanum, a curved glass hood on ornamental metal cantilever brackets, and boldly battered plinth courses. The north elevation is relatively plain with pedimented dormerheads. A tall single-storey hall block was added to the east in 1883 by William Bell Scott. This features a buttress surmounted by an owl and a mullioned window on the south elevation, twin lancets at the east gable, a lower link with parapet and belfry feature to the main castle crowstepped gable, and an archway to a service court at lower level.

The interior contains important decorative schemes. The entrance vestibule is small, with timber armorial and Gothic black letter inscriptions. The turnpike stair features a major Pre-Raphaelite mural cycle of the Kings Quair by William Bell Scott dating from 1859 onwards, executed as wax spirit fresco partly painted on zinc, containing portraits of Alice Boyd, the Rossettis and Scott himself. Separate schemes of painted decoration appear at window splays and passages to bedrooms.

The library, occupying the first floor of the original tower, contains a large segmentally arched stone chimneypiece with stone hood, a beamed ceiling, Gothic inscriptions, arabesque panels at the window reveals, parts of a decorative frieze, a wrought-iron curtain rail and a panel of carving framing a watercolour.

The ante-room to the drawing room (now used as a dining room) occupies the second floor of the original tower and features Dutch gilt leather dado, stencilled walls and an inset painted panel in the ceiling.

The drawing room (now used as a dining room) on the second floor of the original tower was designed as a setting for tapestries still in situ. It contains a nook-shafted chimneypiece of 1857, a mural of The Twa Corbies by William Bell Scott in a window recess and a beamed ceiling.

The uppermost bedroom, known as The Windy Room or Christina Rossetti's Room, occupies the third floor of the original tower. It is coved with an important scheme of mural decoration by Christina Rossetti depicting trees with falling autumn leaves and incorporates reused ancient woodwork.

The main bedroom, also known as the Laird's room or Alice Boyd's room, is located on the first floor of the 1628 wing and contains a chimneypiece of ancient woodwork and a painted ceiling of branches and leaves.

The middle bedroom, William Bell Scott's room, occupies the second floor of the 1828 wing. It is coved with an important decorative frieze, partly on painted paper, featuring paintings of animals and ancient woodwork on the chimneypiece.

The hall corridor features decorative woodwork designed as a setting for tapestries.

The hall is timber-lined with an open timber roof and original hanging lamps. It contains an elaborate chimneypiece with granite inset and painted decoration at the window reveals.

The estate includes a small 2-storey block of stable offices dating from the 19th century, a walled garden and a sundial with a wrought-iron gate given by Christina Rossetti, and terracing.