A former home of one of the Coats thread mill family is for sale with a £1million price tag - making it the most expensive property on the market in Paisley right now.
The B-listed property was built in 1896 as a wedding gift for 25-year-old Ernest Coates, of the Coats family, whose famous textile empire started in the nineteenth century.
Balgonie House is a beautiful late-Victorian Baronial mansion situated on Acer crescent in the south of the town.
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It features 8,500sq/ft of floor space and many, many rooms to get lost in over its three floors..
The interior is made up of rich woodwork that includes original timber wall panelling, magnificent fireplaces and a grand staircase. And elaborate cornice work adorns every ceiling.
Bedrooms are spacious and are in abundance, with the drowsy homeowner being able to pick from nine of them.
The property also has seven bathrooms - one for each day of the week.
There has been some modernisation to parts of the building, particularly the kitchen, which features white marble surfaces and top-of the-range equipment, including an island hob.
The residence benefits from two acres of mature gardens, with grand trees lining the ground, giving a sense of privacy.
A large stone driveway off of Acer crescent leads to the main house, with lovingly-maintained gardens all around.
The sprawling lawns lead to a lovely summer house and to the rear of the property a unique stone-built garden room, complete with an integrated fireplace.
The building is being marketed by Corum Property and offers of more than £995,000 are being invited.
More pictures of the building can be viewed at the Corum website here: shorturl.at/dpRV7
The rich mill history that has threaded itself through the very fabric of Paisley society can be traced at Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
The Anchor Mills are arguably the best known of Paisley’s mills, and the main building still stands as a proud beacon in the heart of town, on the banks of White Cart Water.
It was started by the Clark family, who began manufacturing cotton thread on the north side of the River Cart, close to the Hammils in 1812
In 1819, the elder James Clark retired and he sold the business to his sons James junior and John. Together, they formed the company of J & J Clark.
When they retired in 1852, the business was left in the hands of James Clark of Ralston, the son of John.
By 1880, Anchor Mills was running more than 230,000 spindles and employing over 3,500 workers, who were producing about 15 tons of finished goods each day.
The Anchor Mills covered a huge area and, as well as the main building on the banks of the river, the Mile End Mill still stand today as part of the Abbey Mill Business Centre, which houses the Paisley Thread Mill Museum.
Another major employer was Ferguslie Mills, which traces its roots back to 1802, when James Coats set up business in the weaving trade before going into partnership with James Whyte, producing Canton Crepe shawls, in which the skill of yarn twisting was an integral part.
In 1826, James Coats built a small thread factory behind his house, in Back Row, Ferguslie, now known as Maxwellton Road.
He retired four years later and his son William took over. The thread business was passed to sons James and Peter, and in July 1830 J & P Coats was formed and expanded to include their piece de resistance – the huge No 1 Spinning Mill.
By the 1880s, there was trouble in paradise, with the Coats’ and Clarks’ businesses growing so big that competition became fierce, leading to huge price cuts to bring in customers.
They finally rented an office in St Mirren Street where they could discuss joint interests.
This worked so well that in April, 1896, it was announced Clark & Co and J & P Coats Limited would amalgamate under the Coats name.
At one time, around 10,000 people worked in the industry, and now memorabilia spanning the generations can be seen at the museum in Mile End Mill, Abbey Mill Business Centre, Seedhill Road.
The museum is open on a Wednesday & Saturday 12 noon to 4pm with volunteers present to provide guided tours. There is more information online at paisleythreadmill.co.uk
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