Holmwood House

Location: 61-63 Netherlee Rd, Glasgow G44 3YU
Opening times: 28 March to 1 November, Thursday to Sunday 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Closed the rest of the year.
Entry: Adult £10.00, concession £7.50, child £5.00, family £25.00, one adult family £15.00, Young Scot £1.00
Access: Car parking on site, no charge.

Inspired by stumbling across Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s grave in the Southern Necropolis, I decided to see if any of his works, or more specifically, any of his interiors, survived, and was delighted to discover that Holmwood House met that criteria. Better still, it was owned by the National Trust for Scotland (of which I am a card-carrying member) and open to the public. Armed with this knowledge I was soon bound for the southside of Glasgow on a record-breaking hottest day of the year (29°C / 84°F).

*Making a good first impression. This is the view of Holmwood upon emerging from the trees that deliberately obscure it.*

Holmwood was built in 1857 – 8 for paper mill owner James Couper. The Couper family owned it until 1909, after which it passed through several hands, some of whom made alterations to the building. Its final occupiers before the National Trust were the Sisters of our Lady of the Missions, who acquired the property in 1958. They established a primary school where the car park now is, with Holmwood serving as living quarters for the Sisters. What had been the Coupers’ dining room was converted into a chapel. Management of the school was taken over by the local education authority in 1967, and it was closed twenty-five years later when it became too small to deal with local demand.

The Sisters moved out in 1994 and, incredibly, there was some serious talk of the house being demolished to make way for a proposed 93 houses and flats. Thankfully the recently formed Alexander Thomson vigorously opposed the development proposal and Glasgow City Council subsequently refused planning permission. The National Trust acquired Holmwood that same year and since then have conducted an extensive restoration programme, returning the house to its original state. It opened to the public in 1998. I arrived just in time to join a very insightful tour led by Grace, and would advise anyone visiting the property to take the tour to get the most out of their visit. Let’s have a look inside.

*The entrance hall exulted in a use of colour unusual for the Victorian era in which it was designed.*

The hallway’s ornate omega-shaped fireplace is topped by a barometer embellished with the signs of the zodiac, which is in turn topped by a winged cherub. This is believed to be the work of Thomson’s friend and associate, the Glasgow sculptor George Mossman (1823 – 1863). Mossman is buried in the city’s Sighthill Cemetery, and the obelisk marking his grave was reputedly designed by Thomson.

*The wonderful cupola that lights Holmwood’s staircase. The windows are etched with stars which, according to Grace, the sun casts onto the walls in certain conditions.*

*The dining room, very much designed to impress when business entertaining. The frieze running along the top of the walls tells the story of Homer’s* Iliad from the Greeks’ point of view on one side and the Trojans on the other. This was a painstaking restoration on the part of the National Trust as the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions used this room as their chapel – the marble surface in the recess served as their altar – and had the frieze painted over in the believe it was inappropriate for a Christian place of worship.

*Detail of the frieze, which was painted by Thomson himself.*

*Detail of the dining room fireplace and wallpaper.*

I do like a Thompson door. On the left is one of the four in the dining room at Holmwood, and on the right one I took a week earlier at Caledonia Road Church.

*The parlor with its standout feature, the near-circular bay window. The plaster ceiling above it completes the circle. Thomson thought this area* would be “A fitting spot in which to establish the ladies’ work-table”. The marble busts may look contemporaneous to Holmwood House but are in fact recent additions, part of a temporary exhibition featuring the work of the 21st century sculptor Jonathan Owen. The National Trust hold a range of events at Holmwood, including talks about Thomson and the house, a semi-regular market, and, every Halloween, the Holmwood Seance Experience.

The first floor drawing room. Floor-to-ceiling windows and large mirrors on the other three walls ensure the room is always brightly lit during daytime. The wall panels on either side of the fireplace, and on four other panels within the drawing room, once contained paintings of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King by Scottish figurative artist Hugh Cameron (1835 – 1918). The fate of these paintings is unknown, but a photograph taken in 1928 shows that they were gone by then. Also gone is the view of the ruin of Cathcart Castle, which was demolished in 1980.

Destination or Diversion?

I am astounded that I managed to get this far without ever hearing of Holmwood House before as it is spectacular, and should be as celebrated as Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House. Perhaps it is amongst those with a greater knowledge and appreciation of art and architecture than me, and it is an individual’s level of appreciation that would determine whether Holmwood was, for them, a destination or diversion. The curious might be happy to have a wonder and be out in under an hour whereas those with a greater interest may sign up for a tour and then tarry a bit longer to appreciate the design and decor on their own. I opted for the latter, and then had a stroll around the grounds before having a cold drink and a by now obligatory empire biscuit while enjoying the garden from the shade.

Destination or Diversion?

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