Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Approximately rectangular, mid 18th century walled garden situated on a sloping site to the NE of Gartmore House. It was constructed using material from Gartartan Castle, a late 16th century or early 17th century ruinous Z-plan tower house and Scheduled Ancient Monument, which is located on the NW side of the garden. The garden dates from the period when the Graham family of Gartmore were carrying out improvements to their house and grounds, and laying out the planned estate village of Gartmore. It is a good surviving example of relatively unaltered walled garden, which incorporates much older fabric from Gartartan Castle.

Approximately 12 foot high random rubble walls with flat stone copes. Round-arched ashlar SW gateway with keystone and timber gate. SE gate with pediment above with C within, a reused fragment from Gartartan Castle, which according to the previous list description is dated 1686 (date not visible at time of resurvey, 2004). Broad, segmentally arched NW gate is obscured by ivy; a fine armorial panel above it which was extant in 1971 was not seen in 2004.

Another random rubble wall slices the garden in half along a SW-NE axis. Early 20th century postcards show that there was once an extensive series of glasshouses situated along S face of this wall. Of these, only the brick foundations survive. To the N of this wall are a series of lean-to brick buildings with corrugated iron roofs, which accommodated the heating system for the glasshouses, as well as potting sheds and gardeners' room. 1 chimney stack still survives.

At time of resurvey (2004) the S half of the garden was occupied by pigs, geese and beehives. The N section, which is currently overgrown, has 1 glasshouse (probably not in its original location) which is in a perilous condition.

Statement of Interest

B-Group together with Gartmore House, the Burial Enclosure, Village Gate and Gartartan Lodge.

Alexander Graham observed in 1724 that to the west of Gartartan Castle 'is the house of Gartmore, the residence of Robert Graham of Gartmore, where there are new enclosures, and a great deal of young planting'. The policies at Gartmore around the ruins of Gartartan Castle were well developed by the time of Roy's Military Survey of Scotland (1747-55), although the Walled Garden does not appear on an estate map dated 1780. It is mentioned in a report dated 1833, which also referred to a series of hot houses, including a peach-house and vinery (Graham Papers, National Archives of Scotland).

According to local residents, 38 gardeners were employed on the Gartmore estate in its early 20th century heyday and the estate was famed for its peaches, grown under glass in the walled garden. But the walled garden was never completely under cultivation - most of the S section beyond the glasshouses was laid out with shrubs and walks. This is confirmed by the layout of the garden on 1st and 2nd editions of Ordnance Survey maps.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17841376

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)