A beautiful description of the former Blantyre Lodge is uncovered here. Pictured is William Jolly’s Lodge at Blantyre Works, together with the floorplan.
Mrs Helen McGowan Jolly, a daughter in law of William Jolly, describes the house in one of her many letters, “The old house of Blantyre Lodge was a 2-storey stone built mansion house of 21 rooms including the servants quarters in the basement. It had Corinthian pillars at the main entrance hall at the front, which had a tiled floor, shaped like a T. It had two tiger skin rugs and fine paintings on the walls, as well as a barometer and grandfather clock. The drawing room and dining room on the ground floor had French windows, which opened on to extensive lawns, tennis courts and putting greens.
The views from all around the house looked out on these lawns, court and greens towards a beautiful avenue (with tall trees), which contained a rookery and stretched right up to the Glasgow Road. It is considered a very lucky house that has a rookery, and although the farmers did not like the birds which ate all the seeds, the Jolly family loved the crows.
The house was furnished throughout in Chippendale; the bedrooms had old Queen Mary beds trimmed with rich brocade with tassels at the corners. The Dining room furnished in Mahogany with the walls lined with bookshelves, the whole house was beautiful with a sloping garden down towards the river Clyde. Across the water was Bothwell Castle and nearby were the ruins of the old Priory where lots of old Latin inscriptions made by old Monks who lived there with Mary Queen of Scots, were found.”
Blantyre Lodge was acquired form William Baird & Co in 1929 and was demolished shortly after. Today, it is the exact site of the current playpark and sand pit in the David Livingstone Centre grounds.
