Craigends of the 20th Century a Renfrewshire estate remembered

I visited Craigends a few times by pushbike from Johnstone must be in the early to mid 60s

I remember the entrance was a big archway with large ornate gates that led you through a curving path or roadway through flat farmland which had cattle grazing in the fields at that time. The entrance path was bordered by an small iron fence which ran all the way to the big house. There were many wild roe deer in the estate at that time.

The big house was in ruins but still intact. I remember going up the big staircase and actually being able to stand on the roof of the square tower and look over the estate. I dont remember the stair reaching the tower there must have been aloft access hatch or plank lying about i was quite adventuress at that age as we all were i supose.

I also remember the glass house at the end of the house. It was open to the elements and had a strange tall plant growing in it which looked lie something from the day of the triffids film. I now realise it was a Austrailian tree fern from my limited garden knowledge.

I think at the time there might have been a game keeper still in residence in another small cottage on the estate. At the rear of the house were old tennis courts still visible but beginning to be overgrown. Further to the rear were stables and in one of the stables there was a very good small painting on the stable partition which i presume was a wooden partition on reflection it was actually **** excellent.

Also at the rear of stables was a large collection of outbuildings with a large hall with very fine drawings of naked ladies with flowing robes on the walls all around the drawings were very large as was the hall. I remember the bridge over the river at the front and a terrible dark waterfall thundering over this bridge led to the lodgehouse at the roadway leading to Houston.

25th June 2008