51 Hamilton Road, Larkhall

This is a late 19th-century, two-storey house of asymmetrical design, situated on Hamilton Road in Larkhall. The house is rectangular with a square projection to the front and a full-height, four-light canted window on the left side, and a round-arched, pedimented window breaking the eaves on the right. Overhanging eaves and exposed rafters add to the architectural detail. The exterior is primarily stugged red sandstone ashlar, with grey sandstone used on the sides and rear, and polished ashlar dressings. A base course, deep cornice above the canted bay, and a coped parapet with decorative terminal blocks are also present. Stone mullions are used for window framing, with a relieving arch over the ground-floor window, and long and short quoins create visual interest.

The principal, or northeast, elevation features an architraved and corniced door in the centre bay, set above a shaped square panel. The door is an asymmetrically panelled timber design. A small, two-part window sits above the door at the first floor. To the right, a three-light window is at ground level, paired with a bipartite, pedimented window above. The full-height canted window to the far right is topped with a ball-finialled pyramidal roof.

The southwest, or rear, elevation is irregular, with six bays grouped in threes. A single-storey entrance bay projects from the outer right side. The three bays to the left feature a window on each floor, with the centre window directly above the ground floor. The three bays to the right have windows on each floor, with the first-floor window breaking the eaves. A boarded door is located in the outer right bay.

The northwest side elevation presents a blank gabled wall with a gablehead stack. The southeast side elevation is irregularly fenestrated with a window in a gabled bay, positioned above a stair window. A pitched, two-storey entrance projection extends to the left, with a further piended projection branching from it. A wallhead stack is located to the right of the gable, and a window is set on the first floor of the square projection to the right.

The windows are timber sash and case designs, with small panes in the upper sections. A grey slate roof covers the main structure, with slate also used on recent additions. Ashlar coped stacks are present on the northwest and southeast sides, and cast-iron rainwater goods are accented with decorative rectangular hoppers and downpipe brackets.

The interior features a timber panelled vestibule door with a small-paned, leaded stained glass upper section and flanking stained glass strip lights. The space is delineated by timber pilasters with a plain frieze and cornice. Timber skirting boards and panelled doors (matching the asymmetry of the exterior door) are present, along with brass finger plates and handles. The staircase has square-plan timber banisters with pierced heart motifs in the style of C.A. Voysey, and the canted drawing room features a dentilled cornice.

The property is approached via slightly tapered, square-plan, red sandstone ashlar gate piers, set to the right of the house. These piers have plinths, rectangular panels to the upper section, a narrow frieze with block terminals, and a swept, shallow pyramidal cap with a large ball finial. Low red sandstone ashlar boundary walls with a tall block adjacent to the piers are topped with a rounded ashlar cope (railings are missing), and the timber gates have been replaced.