Ascog House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ascog House |
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Ascog House with the Edwardian stair turret
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Ascog |
| Country | Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°49′24″N 5°01′39″W / 55.8233°N 5.0274°W |
| Construction started | Before 1678 |
Ascog House is a big old mansion from the 1600s. You can find it in Ascog, on the Isle of Bute in southwest Scotland. Today, a group called the Landmark Trust looks after it. It's also a special 'category B' listed building, which means it's important and protected. Another building, Balmory Hall, is just west of Ascog House.
Contents
What Does Ascog House Look Like?
A Historic Home's Features
The house you see today is a large, three-story building. It runs from north to south. On its east side, there's a cool stair turret. This turret has a small room at the top, like a tiny watchtower. The roofs are very steep and have unique "crow-stepped" gables. One window decoration even shows the year 1678!
This house looks a lot like the Mansion House in nearby Rothesay. They were probably built around the same time by the same architect.
Inside Ascog House Today
The inside of Ascog House was rebuilt in the 1990s. Before that, many of the old rooms were changed when the building was split into apartments. Sadly, a fire in 1991 caused even more damage while it was being fixed up.
The Story of Ascog House's Design
From Old Castle to Mansion
Long ago, there was an even older castle near here. But today, there's no sign of it. (There's a ruined tower called "Ascog Castle," but it's not on the Isle of Bute; it's on the mainland in Argyll.)
The house we see now started as an "L-plan tower house." This means it was shaped like the letter L. It had a special watch-chamber above the staircase. From this spot, people could drop things on unwanted visitors! Buildings like this were common around the year 1600.
Changes Over the Centuries
If you look closely at the stone walls, you can see how the house has changed over time. The floors and rooms were moved around. In the 1700s, the windows were made bigger.
Later, during the time of Queen Victoria, a large wing for servants was added to the back. Then, when Edward VII was king, a new drawing room and staircase were built on the north side.
By 1970, the house had been divided into several apartments. But it started to have big problems with its structure. Parts of the house became unsafe, and one wall was even in danger of falling down.
Restoration and New Life
In the early 1990s, the Landmark Trust began a big project to restore the house. They removed the Victorian servant's wing. They also took away most of the Edwardian additions. However, the Edwardian staircase was left standing on its own. It became a unique, separate tower with an extra bedroom inside!
Who Owned Ascog House?
The Stewart Family's Long History
In 1594, a man named John Stewart of Kilchattan bought the Ascog land. He might have been the one who built the very first house there.
Later, in 1673, his grandson (also named John Stewart) married Margaret Cunningharn. They might have been the ones who rebuilt and made the house bigger. This could explain the date 1678 carved into the building.
In the 1700s, another owner, John Stewart, wrote a special will. He wanted to make sure the house would always stay in the Stewart family.
An Eccentric Owner and Legal Troubles
When this John Stewart died without children, the house went to a distant relative named Archibald MacArthur. He changed his name to Archibald MacArthur Stewart. People at the time said he was very unusual and extremely careful with money. They also said he loved pigs and even kept baby pigs in his bedroom!
Archibald also died without children. The next person to inherit was an American citizen named Frederick Campbell. According to the will, he had to change his name to Stewart and become a British citizen. This took ten years and needed a special law passed by Parliament!
Then, Frederick tried to sell the Ascog estate. But many people came forward, saying they should get some of the money because of the old will. A big legal fight started, and Frederick died during it.
New Owners and a New Purpose
Frederick's brother, Ferdinand Campbell, was the next heir. He was more successful than his brother. In a short time, he became a British citizen. He also convinced the House of Lords to cancel the old will. In 1831, he finally sold the estate.
A civil engineer named Robert Thom bought it. He then called himself "Laird of Ascog."
After Robert Thom, we don't know as much about the owners. But in 1939, the 5th Marquess of Bute bought the house. He used it to house workers from his estate.
In 1989, the Landmark Trust bought Ascog House. Today, the building is kept in good condition by renting it out as holiday accommodation.
Images for kids
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Ascog House with the Edwardian stair turret
