Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

AUCHENHEATH HOUSE INCLUDING COACH HOUSE, GARDEN TERRACES AND BALUSTRADES, SOUTH ENTRANCE GATEPIERS AND WALLSLB51053

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
21/02/2008
Local Authority
South Lanarkshire
Planning Authority
South Lanarkshire
Parish
Lesmahagow
NGR
NS 80516 43788
Coordinates
280516, 643788

Description

Earlier 19th century; mid 19th century alterations; William Ferguson additions and alterations circa 1886, earlier 20th century alterations. Extensive 8-bay, largely 2-storey, asymmetrically-planned villa with eclectic Italianate detailing; open entrance loggia to E and 3-storey tower section offset to W. Fine interior detailing to principal rooms. Picturesquely-sited between former railway embankment and very deep river ravine. Predominantly stugged coursed ashlar with raised margined surrounds; bull-faced ashlar to part W elevation. Advanced base course, moulded string courses and projecting cills.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: original 3-bay cottage to centre of S elevation with gabled former ancillary accommodation behind. Later

additions to W and N incorporating 3-storey gabled tower section with bipartite windows and small square tower with shallow domed roof and weather vane. Gabled wing to SW corner with carved stone plaque and floral swags to apex; projecting gabled bay and later canted bay to W elevation. Small chapel attached at angle to N with pilastered and pedimented niche and crucifix to gable, entrance porch and decorative parapet wallhead. 3-storey rendered brick circular tower to central section of N elevation with corbelled brick detail and domed copper roof. Earlier 20th century adaptations to E entrance detailing to include open loggia and porch.

Timber sash and case windows, predominantly multi-pane over plain sashes. Predominantly timber-bracketed overhanging eaves; stone skews to N gables. Slate roofs. Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers (some dated 1868).

INTERIOR: some very finely decorated rooms linked by long central hall. Earlier 20th century timber-panelled entrance hall with fine mosaic floor; reception room with fine stained glass and ornate marble chimneypiece (see notes). Central entrance hall with squared stone pilasters and fine ornately plastered, recessed, vaulted ceiling with semi circular stained glass end panels. Timber-panelled dog-leg stair with turned balusters leading to central upper floor. Rectangular Jacobethan style library with timber panelling and hammer-beam roof with clerestory dated 1842 and 1876. Large formal dining room with curved ceiling, highly decorative cornice, timber chimneypiece with pilastered overmantel and arched hoodmoulds to doors. Curved timber stair with cast-iron banisters to tower.

COACH HOUSE: 2-storey, 4-bay, gabled former coach house with small square 1st floor windows under eaves. Linked to former chapel wall by pair of squared ashlar pillars with large ball finials. Coursed ashlar rubble. Eaves course; projecting cills. Timber multi-pane windows, boarded doors. Later alterations to openings including large garage door openings to S gable. Stone skews, squared skewputts and ball finials to gable apexes. Tall wallhead stack. Cobbled courtyard area to west.

GARDEN TERRACES AND BALUSTRADES: central steps with balustrades and ball finials to S lawn area and ashlar stone retaining walls to W side with carved stone balustrade. Tall buttressed railway embankment walls to East of house.

SOUTH ENTRANCE GATEPIERS AND WALLS: pair of squared stone gatepiers and smaller side piers with scroll caps between curved quadrant walls and cylindrical corniced piers. Long curved walls extending to sides with spaced piers and Aberdeen bond stonework.

OTHER ANCILLARY STRUCTURES: remains of rectangular ancillary building to N of coach house and complete rectangular rendered brick building with arched details beyond. Small piended-roof brick building and small stone outbuilding with in-filled gable to far N area of site. Large garden ground walks to S of house shown on first edition OS map.

Statement of Special Interest

Auchenheath House is a large, complex villa built in several stages over the later 19th and early 20th centuries, with some good Italianate exterior detailing and some very fine decorative elements to the interior. The building has undergone design alterations which have added to its historical interest as a whole.

Auchenheath was largely built for James Ferguson Esquire, tenant of the local coalfields, who occupied the house until at least 1875. The building's history is complicated; it is thought that the earliest section was the central three bay cottage and gabled 2 bay section to right of circa 1842 which appear on the 1st edition OS map. A design perspective by Allan & Ferguson calls the building Auchenheath Cottage and shows it greatly extended to the West and rear in much the same form as built, although some of the detailing is different. The rainwater hoppers on the middle section are dated 1868. The Library to the rear is dated 1842 and 1876 suggesting that this part of the house was extended in 1876 although this is unlikely to have been carried out by Ferguson. The former chapel to the rear dates to the later 19th century expansions but possibly incorporates stone detailing from an earlier building.

The large ornate marble fireplace, with it's fender and fire dogs, are believed to have come from Hamilton Palace, which was demolished in 1919 after its contents (including the fixtures and fittings) had been sold by auction. A photograph of the fireplace (or one remarkably similar) in its original position in the first of the New State Rooms at Hamilton is to be found on p34 of Scotland's Lost Country Houses by Ian Gow. The fireplace dates from about 1842 when these rooms were fitted up.

William Ferguson (1853-1912) was a Rutherglen based architect who studied at Glasgow School of Art and was articled to Campbell, Douglas and Sellars for 8 years and Rowand Anderson for 3 years.

The building was purchased by the Auchenheath Christian Fellowship in the later 20th century. Although much of the stained glass in the house has a religious theme, it appears to be of an earlier date than this.

By the 1892 OS map a gasometer and extensive glasshouses are shown to the land to the North of the remaining outbuildings along the line of the railway embankment (now demolished). A map from the 1930s shows the area to the W of the coach house to be glazed (a cobbled floor remains) which may have been used as a garage.

References

Bibliography

1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1856). J B Greenshields, Annals of Lesmahagow, (1864) p90. Ian Gow, Scotland's Lost Houses (2006), p34. Dictionary of Scottish Architects www.codexgeo.co.uk (accessed 9 Nov 2007).

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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