Description

Built circa.1900, this classical fronted tenement is a dominating presence on one of the main thoroughfares in central Stirling, and is also one of the few early 20th century buildings to survive on the S side of the street which was extensively rebuilt in the later 20th century. The tenement was built as a combination of shop units at ground floor and offices and 2 and 3 bedroomed flat to the upper floors, an arrangement that survives largely intact today. The decorative N elevation is one of the most striking and detailed of the town centre tenements, and despite the modern shop frontage at ground, the tenement is a major contributor to the streetscape of Murray Place.

N (principal) elevation: 5-storey, 5-bay classical ashlar elevation. modern shop frontage at ground floor (some original detail may exist beneath this). Symmetrical 1st and 2nd floors; 5-bay with advanced central and outer bays; channelled rustication to 2nd and 4th bays. Open-pedimented, giant-order classical centrepiece mounted on corniced, foliate frieze to 4th and 5th floors, framing windows of central bay. Canted, 3-storey outer bays, flanked by continuous plain pilasters topped by ashlar spheres; surmounted by tripartite windows with deep moulded eaves. Windowpieces adorned by various pediments, decorative keystones and cartouches.

E & W elevations: blind, randon rubble elevations.

S (rear) elevation: red brick; plain fenestration to upper floors.

Interior: Nos.60, 62, 66, 68 all individual, modernised shop units with main doors to street. No.64

enters through a central doorway into a corridor with 2 panel coffered ceiling with dentil cornice, leading to the central stairwell. The internal stone stairwell is lit by a large, square pyramidical light at roof level, and has a dado of orange, cream and brown glazed ceramic tiles in decorative bands. Main doorways to offices and dwellings have classical moulded timber doorpieces with plain fanlights, and a mixture of 6 panel double and single leaf outer doors. The offices have relatively plain interiors with some simple plaster archways and cornicing, and surviving carved doorpieces, panelled window surrounds and fireplaces. Dwelling to left at 2nd floor now converted to office accommodation. Flat 8 retains original timber sash and case windows, egg and dart cornicing, skirting and doorpieces. Original classical carved fireplace in main reception room. Plain banded cornicing to other rooms with smaller cast-iron fireplaces in bedrooms and range cooker in kitchen. Original tongue and groove panelling to bathroom.

Access to other properties not possible, 2005.

Materials: sandstone ashlar to main elevation; coursed and snecked, squared rubble to sides and rear. Mostly timber sash and case windows; some PVCu windows to dwellings; pryamidical glass and cast iron rooflight above stairwell. Various single and double timber 6-panel doors to stairwell. Roofscape and roofing material unseen, 2005.

Statement of Interest

60-68 Murray Place is amongst the most detailed and dominating examples of tenement building within the city of Stirling. The building appears to have been built upon the site of an earlier pair of semi-detached villas which probably dated from the feuing of Murray Place in the mid 19th century. The tenement building first appears on the Ordnance Survey map dating from the 1920s, but dates from the turn of the century. Murray

Place was built as one of the first bypass roads past the Old Town of Stirling, to give a direct and easily negotiable road through the town for drovers with animals that were heading for the Tryst towns of Falkirk and Crieff. The tenement is thought to have been built c.1900, and reflects the importance that Murray Place had within the town. When the railway came to Stirling, roughly the same time as the planning and feuing of Murray Place, the street took on an increased importance as a commercial hub of the town as it was closest to Stirling Station. The street held banks, hotels, the post office and several churches, and the redevelopment

of the site into a tenement incorporating both shops and offices may have been a speculative move to take full advantage of the shift of the commercial activity to this part of the town. The tenement is mentioned in the Buildings of Scotland series as being 'five ashlar storeys of classical invention', whilst in his Six Scottish Burghs publication, Andy MacMillan describes the building as 'one of the most innovative and impressive tenements anywhere in Scotland'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777822

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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