Ballochneck

Ballochneck is a later 19th-century building that incorporates an earlier 19th-century block, set out in an overall T-plan. The rectangular-plan earlier block lies to the south, while a larger L-shaped block to the north contains the principal rooms. The building is 2 storeys and attic.

The original southern block is built in coursed stone and coursed rubble with droved sandstone ashlar dressings. The main northern block is constructed in coursed stugged stone, with a sandstone principal elevation and sandstone ashlar dressings throughout. Both blocks feature a base course, frieze and bracketed timber eaves cornice (the eaves raised slightly on the earlier block to accommodate this detail). A band course runs above the ground floor of the principal elevation. Vertical margins define the arrises and architraved openings throughout; stugged quoins appear at the arrises and to openings. Shaped timber bargeboards with pendant T-braces ornament the gable apexes throughout.

The principal north elevation displays Italianate design and comprises three bays. A slightly projecting three-storey rectangular-plan tower occupies the central bay, featuring arcaded round-arched windows. The entrance sits at the tower base within an open porch formed by a pair of columns with plain semi-bowl-shaped capitals set forward on pedestals supporting an entablature topped by a balustraded parapet. Flanking the entrance are a pair of pilasters with Greek key motifs to their capitals. Steps lead up to the entrance with a moulded architrave, giving access to an 8-panel timber door with a rectangular fanlight. The tower's sides recede slightly as vertical panels. A tall narrow window serves the ground floor on the left return of the tower. The first floor displays a 2-light round-arched window arcade above the entrance, formed by attached columns with cushion capitals supporting round arches with keystones, each containing a recessed panel. A flanking band course appears at impost level on this side only, continued above and surmounted by a blank recessed panel with moulded architrave. Triple-arched window arcades to the second floor occupy each exposed face of the tower, identical to the first-floor arcade but with fluted keystones. A projecting cill band extends across the tower corners. Stone brackets rise at the head of each vertical panel flanking the tower, followed by frieze and moulded cornice, and surmounted by a balustraded parapet with stepped block centred above each side; panelled pedestals at the arrises carry obelisk finials.

The right bay is a gabled bay set forward, containing a mullioned tripartite bow window to the ground floor with corniced frieze surmounted by a panelled parapet. The first floor has a mullioned bipartite with frieze and consoled cornice surmounted by a segmental pediment. The left bay is set back and contains a projecting mullioned tripartite to the ground floor with frieze and moulded cornice surmounted by a panelled and corniced parapet-like band. The first floor above carries a pedimented mullioned breaking-eaves bipartite with frieze and parallel brackets at either end to the pediment.

The east elevation includes a gabled bay of the main block projecting to the outer right, with two windows to the ground floor and one centred above; a window serves both ground and first floors to the left return. The earlier three-bay block is set back to the left, with a central entrance of panelled timber door and rectangular fanlight, a window above, and flanking windows to ground and first floors (the ground floor window to the right has been altered to a mullion bipartite). A single-storey lean-to addition projects to the outer left, with a window to its right.

The west elevation features a three-bay section of the main block projecting to the outer left. Twin gable ends of a rectangular-plan conservatory project at right angles to either side of the entrance to a gabled central bay. The conservatory has a timber-framed glazed substructure with bracketed eaves on an ashlar base, supported on cast-iron roof trusses and a central column; steps lead up to a slightly projecting gabled bay entrance with a weather-vane finial to the left return, equipped with a part-glazed timber door. Steps descend to a pair of small basement entrances to the right return. Flanking windows at ground floor are set back (the right one smaller). A window serves the first floor to the central and left bays; a large stair window appears to the outer right, and a boxed dormer lies to the left of the attic. The earlier three-bay block is set back to the right, with ground and first floor windows to the outer flanking bays; a stair window occupies the centre; a gabled bipartite breaking-eaves dormer (inserted during remodelling) sits above. A single-storey lean-to addition projects to the outer right.

The south elevation shows a window to the right of the first floor to the earlier block. A single-storey lean-to addition projects below and around the base of this window, featuring bracketed coping to the side walls and an eaves band to the front; steps lead up to an entrance to the left of centre, accessed via a boarded timber door divided into two leaves horizontally. A window lies to the left; two narrow windows appear to the right.

The roofs are laid in grey slate (the lean-to asphalted). The building features corniced ashlar gablehead stacks to the east and west of the main block and to the south of the earlier block; a corniced ashlar stack occupies the centre of the main block. A small corniced red sandstone stack serves the west side of the lean-to; round cans (missing to the lean-to) complete the roofscape. Windows throughout are 2-pane timber sash and case, apart from the south side of the lean-to which has multi-pane timber sash and case.

The interior layout and fixtures largely remain intact from the later 19th-century remodelling. The main entrance hall and dining room to the left of the entrance feature finely panelled walls executed in Georgian manner. An open-well principal staircase with turned balustrade and parquet floor at its foot serves the main block. A marble fireplace surround carved with putti (probably a slightly later insertion) ornaments the drawing room to the right of the main entrance. Fine plaster cornicing and ceiling roses grace the dining room and drawing room above. An original winding stone staircase with cast-iron balustrade serves the earlier block.