Crosbie Tower, South Beach, Troon

Crosbie Tower, South Beach, Troon

A late 19th-century villa with later additions and alterations, designed in the Italianate style. The building is asymmetrical, comprising a main 2-storey block with attic storey, a single-storey 4-bay addition to the north, a 2-storey addition to the east, and a distinctive 4-stage square-plan belvedere tower positioned behind a columnar entrance on the south elevation.

The exterior is constructed in coursed cream sandstone with polished sandstone dressings. The base features a bull-faced sandstone plinth, with a polished string course running across the facade. The eaves are overhanging with timber brackets and cornice work. Window openings have architraved surrounds with sandstone mullions and predominantly chamfered cills, some corbelled at first-floor level. Cast-iron verandahs with decorative balustrades extend across both ground and first floors. An additional conservatory is adjoined to the east elevation.

The South Beach (west) elevation presents the main facade, with a projecting bay containing 5-light canted windows at both floors on the outer left, topped by a segmental-arched bipartite dormer with decorative cast-iron balcony. The central recessed bays contain single openings at each floor, with a glazed porch set in the re-entrant angle to the left. Advanced cast-iron verandahs feature fluted columns at ground level and narrow, barley-sugar columns at first-floor level, with low decorative balustrades and foliate spandrels. The outer right comprises a 5-light canted window at ground floor, a bipartite opening at first floor, and two segmental-arched tripartite dormers. The single-storey addition to the outer left has a bipartite window in a projecting bay on the outer left, a tripartite window to the right, and a segmental-arched window with flanking louvred bipartite opening at the centre, with a recessed entrance further right.

The south (entrance) elevation features a projecting entrance offset slightly left of centre, approached by steps and containing a 2-leaf timber panelled door flanked by columns with carved detail beneath a segmental-arched pediment. Behind this lies a segmental-arched sandstone surround to a part-glazed vestibule door. The 4-stage square tower behind contains a square-headed 3-light glazing row at the third stage, with columnar mullions, and a round-arched 3-light glazing row to the upper stage. The recessed bay to the outer left contains a single window at ground floor and single windows at first-floor level. A swept concave bay to the right of the entrance has single and tripartite windows at ground level and single windows above. The outer right bay is advanced and contains 4-light canted windows at both floors.

The east (rear) elevation displays a tripartite window at both floors within an advanced, piended bay offset left of centre, with a polygonal conservatory adjoined to the recessed outer left. A modern stair is positioned to the right. The central 3-bay block comprises a glazed porch at ground floor, a single window aligned above, bipartite windows at both floors in the bay to the left, and 3-light canted windows at both floors in the bay to the right, with regularly disposed segmental-arched dormers above. The single-storey addition to the outer right contains single windows.

The majority of windows are 2-pane timber sash and case glazing. Decorative leaded glazing appears in the vestibule door and stair light. The roof is graded grey slate with corniced sandstone ridge and wallhead stacks featuring various circular cans. Rainwater goods are modern replacements.

The interior has been adapted for residential and conference use. The vestibule retains a mosaic floor and features decorative glazing to a small-paned timber door with a fanlight set in a segmental-arched frame. The hall contains timber dado panelling. The timber balustraded stair has corniced newels and decorative stair lighting. Some original detailed cornices and decorative plasterwork survive, though the majority of original fireplaces have been removed. A lift shaft has been inserted into the interior space.

The boundary wall consists of a bull-faced rubble construction with polished coping to the west, enclosing the site. Square-plan sandstone piers flank the south entrance, while coursed sandstone square-plan piers with pyramidal caps flank the vehicular and pedestrian entrances to the north. Decorative gates are positioned at the entrances.