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Summary

Description

Stewart, Tough and Alexander, 1903, with later additions (see Notes). Single storey and attic asymmetrical Arts and Crafts yacht club built on falling ground with terrace over boat store facing sea. Red brick base course, white harl with pink sandstone margins. Overhanging eaves with exposed rafters; plain bargeboards.

S (ASHTON ROAD) ELEVATION: 4-bay with irregularly disposed and sized windows. Bay to outer left with advanced half-timbered gable. Bay to left of centre with later flat roofed entrance vestibule, tall round-arched window above with timber mullions and transoms breaking eaves in ashlar-coped gablet. To outer right broad canted bay with narrow tripartite window, outlook terrace above with harled dies and iron railings.

N (PRINCIPAL/SEA) ELEVATION: 4-bay. Outlook terrace over single storey bay to outer left, accessed on higher ground from S elevation, with corbelled timber viewing platform, secondary metal stair to main terrace. 2-storey octagonal towers with ashlar transomed windows and ogival pyramidal roofs with weathervane finials to 2nd bay from left and bay to outer right, flanked to centre by single windows at ground. Bay to right of centre with replacement picture window at ground floor; large, later, slightly projecting bowed dormer with 5-light window above.

W ELEVATION: corner tower to outer left (see above); advanced gable to outer right; small later addition.

E ELEVATION: transomed tripartite window.

Small pane timber casements to S, timber sash and case windows with 6-pane upper sashes and plate glass lower sashes to N. Slate roof. Moulded eaves gutter.

INTERIOR: (seen, 2012). Original room plan largely extant. Good decorative timber work throughout. Decorative timber stair with tall square-plan balusters. Timber panelled doors.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIERS: cross-sectioned brick gatepiers with sandstone coping, low brick wall with saddleback coping (portions to W rebuilt).

Statement of Special Interest

This is a good example of a rare, early 20th century purpose-built yacht club with a distinctive pair of canted corner towers overlooking the River Clyde. The club has undergone some modification in its accommodation over the course of the 20th century but a number of distinctive Arts and Crafts features survive, including some good internal detailing.

The club was built in 1903. In the late 1920s, a billiard room was added to the east side, with a roof viewing platform. Originally there was a boatman's flat in the club which was later converted to the ladies' lounge in the 1960s. In the Second World War, the club was requisitioned by the American Forces and the single-storey kitchen extension to the west dates from this time. The bowed dormer and picture window were inserted in the later 20th century.

Royal Gourock Yacht Club was founded in 1894 and was originally known as the Gourock Sailing Club. The name was changed in 1900 to the Gourock Yacht Club and in 1908 Edward VII agreed that it could be known as the Royal Gourock Yacht Club.

The clubhouse was built and presented to the club by Major James Coats of Ferguslie Park, Paisley in 1902.

Yachting is a popular sport, particularly in the West coast of Scotland which is world-renowned as a sailing area. Yachting clubs were established in England and in Ireland in the later 18th century, but do not seem to have become popular in Scotland until the later 19th century.

Stewart, Tough and Alexander (1899-post 1945) was a Greenock architectural practice which concentrated most of its work in the local area. It designed both public and private buildings.

List description updated as part of the sporting buildings thematic study (2012-13).

References

Bibliography

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