Description

Probably William Burn, circa 1844. Single-storey and attic, 2-bay Tudor lodge with steep-pitched roof and dormers breaking wallhead with decorative timber bargeboarding; later single-storey extension to SW. Coursed, stugged sandstone with ashlar margins. Base course. Chamfered window openings; some with stone mullions. Some stepped hoodmoulding. Deep overhanging bracketed eaves. Pair of tall diamond-shafted ridge chimney stacks. Gabled dormer to E.

W ELEVATION: central gabled porch with interior timber panelled entrance door. Lancet window above.

N ELEVATION: off centre canted bay window with gabled dormer breaking wallhead above. Slightly lower bay to right with piended roof.

Predominantly 4-lying pane fixed timber windows. Grey slates.

GATEPIERS: Pair of square-plan coped gatepiers to drive with acorn finials, with similar flanking pedestrian gatepiers. Balustrades to E and W with urn balusters.

Statement of Interest

This little altered Tudor style lodge and its associated gatepiers and balustrades are important and distinctive features at the main eastern entry to the House of Falkand Estate. The lodge includes a number of good architectural details, including particularly richly detailed bargeboards and stacks. Seen by the public, lodges were significant features of estates and this one, with its finely detailed timber bargeboarding and tall eye-catching stacks is a good example of its type. The building is also an important part of the wider designed landscape.

Lodges were built in a variety of styles, including Tudor, as adopted here. The 19th century saw the publication of a number of plan books, which were available to landowners developing and improving their estates. This lodge is typical, although not a direct copy of, examples shown in Loundon's Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture, which was published in 1846.

William Burn (see below) was responsible for designing and building the house of Falkland (see separate listing) and he also laid out the formal gardens around the house and made other improvements to the estate. It is likely that he designed this lodge to provide an eye-catching entry to the estate.

The history of the House of Falkland Estate is linked to that of nearby Falkland Palace, which lies immediately to the east. The House of Falkland Estate is formed by land that was gifted to the Keeper of Falkland Palace together with land that was acquired. In its present form, the estate dates from the early 19th century when it was acquired by John Bruce in 1821. During his time at the estate, Bruce improved the lands around the existing estate house, Nuthill House (now demolished), built the Stables (see separate listing), and cascades and bridges were erected over the Mill and Maspie Burns.

On his death in 1826, his niece Margaret Bruce inherited the Estate. She married Onesiphorus Tyndall Bruce in 1828 and they made the decision to demolish Nuthill House and to build a new residence. The architect for the new house was William Burn and the house was built in 1839-44. The 3rd Marquis of Bute then bought the Estate in 1887 and further work was done to the house and estate. The house was used as a convalescent home in the First World War and as a home for Polish Airmen in the Second World War. The House of Falkland is currently a school (2011).

William Burn (1789-1870) was one of Scotland's foremost architects in the 19th century. He began his career by designing public buildings, but he is particularly associated with country house design at which he was very successful and had a long list of clients, both in Scotland and England. He was skilled at the internal planning of country houses, and his house range from the Greek Revival style to the Scottish Baronial.

(List description updated 2011).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793165

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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