Johnstown Castle — JOHNSTOWN (Forth By.)

Detached three-bay three-storey over basement country house, built 1836-72, on an asymmetrical plan centred on single-bay full-height breakfront with single-bay (four-bay deep) single-storey projecting porch-cum-"porte cochère" to ground floor; five-bay three-storey Garden Front (south) with single-bay four-stage turrets on circular plans centred on single-bay full-height bow on an engaged half-octagonal plan. Occupied, 1911. Donated, 1945. Renovated, 1950, with interior remodelled to accommodate alternative use. Vacated, 2005. Now disused. Interior including (ground floor): corridor on a rectangular plan retaining encaustic tiled floor, Gothic-style timber panelled wainscoting supporting carved timber dado rail, clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to window openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, and groin vaulted ceiling with carved timber ribs on portrait-detailed oak leaf corbels; Tudor-headed door opening into "Apostles Hall" with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround framing glazed timber door having overlight; "Apostles Hall" on a rectangular plan retaining tessellated "Asphaltum" tiled floor, clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to window openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, crocketed Gothic-style timber panelled wainscoting centred on Gothic-style timber chimneypiece, and grape-and-vine-detailed plasterwork cornice to Gothic-style compartmentalised ceiling; Tudor-headed door opening into "Grand Hall" with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround framing glazed timber double doors having overlight; top-lit triple-height "Grand Hall" on a square plan retaining tessellated "Asphaltum" tiled floor, clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to door openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled doors, arcaded galleries (upper floors) with carved timber hand rails, and fan vaulted plasterwork ceiling centred on replacement glass block-filled mass concrete dome; (clockwise) library (south-east) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to opposing window opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, Gothic-style timber bookcases centred on cut-black marble Egyptian-style chimneypiece, and picture railing below compartmentalised ceiling in carved timber frame; bow-ended dining room (south) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to opposing window openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, coat-of-arms-detailed cut-veined green marble Gothic-style chimneypiece in Gothic-style timber surround, and picture railing below grape-and-vine-detailed cornice to quatrefoil-detailed compartmentalised ceiling in carved timber frame; reception room (south-west) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to opposing window opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled riser; remodelled double-height staircase hall (west) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to opposing window opening (half-landing) framing Gothic-style timber panelled reveals or shutters; school room (north-west) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to window openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, quatrefoil-detailed cut-black marble Gothic-style chimneypiece, and picture railing below replacement ceiling; (first floor clockwise): "Second Drawing Room" (south-east) retaining Gothic-style timber surround to door opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled door with carved timber surround to opposing window opening framing mirrored shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, cut-white marble Gothic-style chimneypiece, and cornice to compartmentalised ceiling in carved timber frame; bow-ended "Grand Drawing Room" (south) retaining full-height mirrors in Gothic-style timber surround centred on Gothic-style timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to opposing window openings framing mirrored shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers, cut-white marble chimneypiece in Gothic-style timber surround, and picture railing below grape-and-vine-detailed cornice to compartmentalised ceiling in carved timber frame; reception room (south-west) retaining clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to door opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled door with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surround to opposing window opening framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers; and clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to door openings to remainder framing Gothic-style timber panelled doors with clustered colonette-detailed carved timber surrounds to window openings framing Gothic-style timber panelled shutters on Gothic-style timber panelled risers. Set in landscaped grounds.