Description
Circa 1904. Asymmetrical Arts and Crafts villa with baronial detailing; 2-storey and attic, raised over basement to rear; large single storey and basement conservatory/reception room (near contemporary additions) adjoining S gable. Bull-faced red sandstone with polished ashlar dressings; red brick to upper level of conservatory wing; timber detailing to gables. Battered base course, cill course, cornice. Stone mullioned windows.
E (FRONT) ELEVATION: to left, 2-bay single-storey and basement extension (see below); to right, original 4-bay elevation with polygonal-roofed canted bay to left, conical-roofed bow to right corner, both with scrolled relief panels to 1st floor aprons, finials to roofs. To ground floor, to inner bays windows, that to left transomed with roll-moulded surround below and oval panel. To far right, recessed, small single storey pitched-roofed entrance bay with chamfered, depressed-arched doorway with modern door. To roof, 2 small gabled dormers.
N AND S ELEVATIONS: to attic, large tripartite windows with stylised timber apron and gablehead.
W (REAR) ELEVATION: slightly advanced stair gable to centre, bipartite window to each floor with stained glass; to right, canted tripartite bay with window to basement, doorways flanked by windows at ground and 1st floor (see Notes).
INTERIOR: stair windows of late 19th century stained glass with stylised flowers. Some timber-panelled and stained glass doors.
GLAZING etc: predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows, some with arched small pane detail to top. Pitched roof; graded slate; plain bargeboards to gables. Corniced bull-faced gable-head stacks flanking N and S gables. Some cast-iron rainwater goods.
RECEPTION ROOM AND CONSERVATORY: adjoining S gable; Arts and Crafts style, single storey and basement, rectangular plan with canted ends. Painted timber and glazed brick over bull-faced coursed red sandstone basement. Basket-arched cart opening to basement to side elevation. Timber mullioned and transomed, small-paned casement windows with decorative arched glazing; tripartite window to front, with timber gablehead above; continuous windows to rear. Jerkin roofed; predominantly graded slate; glazed roof to rear; terracotta ridge tiles and finials; corniced red brick ridge stack to centre.
INTERIOR: large main reception room to front, designed as a medieval great hall; timber panelling and open timber trussed roof, latticed and fanned over end bay; timber ingleneuk chimneypiece with dwarf columns and cornice; fire surround of glazed tiles with overmantel with moulded intertwined marine monsters, flanked by small round-headed stained glass windows (depicting stylised Scottish landscapes) into conservatory. To rear, conservatory.
WALLS AND GATEPIERS: low coped walls to Langside Drive; conical capped drum gatepiers with frieze; modern gates. Brick walls enclosing large rear garden.
Statement of Special Interest
56 Langside Drive is notable for its interesting mix of Arts and Crafts and Scots Baronial features, such as the conical roofed corner tower and the use of timber gables and bargeboards. The grand reception room presents and eclectic Arts and Crafts interpretation of a great hall. The doors to 1st and 2nd floor to the rear perhaps originally led out onto an external stair providing direct access to the garden.
In the latter half of the 20th century, 56 Langside Drive was linked with 52-54 Langside Drive (see separate Listing) to form a residential home. In 2003 the linking sections were removed, along with other modifications such as a modern fire escape, and the two buildings were returned to individual residential use.
Category changed, A to B December 2003.