Description

James Miller, 1912-15 with W A Paterson (of the Caledonian Railway) engineer-in-chief. Outstanding multi-platform through and terminal railway station in the Scots manner with 2-island platforms, horse-shoe plan glazed concourse with central ticket office, two large Caledonian Railway signal boxes and associated semaphore signalling.

STATION: W ELEVATION: Symmetrical, single storey sandstone ashlar; 3 crowstepped gables with linking crenellated sections. Central gable is taller with piended iron and glass porch (shortened). Carved monogram plaque flanked by 12-pane glazed lights; clock above set within decorative hoodmould. Ball finials to gable apex. Grey slate. Cast-iron railwater goods. Glazed awnings to E (platform) elevation with decorative cast-iron columns and pierced timber valence. Circular booking office with radial steel roof trusses forming glazed horse-shoe plan concourse.

PRINCIPAL ISLAND PLATFORM: Long, rectangular-plan waiting room buildings to principal island platform with extensive piended glazed awnings and timber valences.

FOOTBRIDGES: covered footbridge walkway over track to principal island platform. Access to smaller island platform via footbridge with stone abutments and latticed iron girder walkway.

MIDDLE SIGNAL BOX: (Map Ref: NS 80116, 93427): 1900, Caledonian Railway (Northern Division) Type 2 signal box..Brick and timber with piended roof. 6 round-arched openings to brick base (blocked). 6-pane glazing to timber operating room above with 29 windows running length of trackside elevation, 2-bays projecting to right of centre; glazing returns to 3-bays to side elevations. Timber forestair rising to timber porch outshot to S end. Grey slate roof. INTERIOR: 96 lever pattern frame and associated signalling instruments including block bells and closing switches.

NORTH SIGNAL BOX: (Map Ref: NS 79702, 93855): 1901, Caledonian Railway (Northern Division) Type 2 signal box. Brick and timber with piended roof. 4-pane glazing pattern to 4 round-arched openings to brick base. 6-pane timber glazing to operating room above with 21 windows running length of trackside elevation, 2-bays projecting to left of centre; glazing returns to 3-bays to side elevations. Timber forestair rising to timber porch outshot to S end. Grey slate roof. INTERIOR: 48 lever pattern frame and associated signalling equipment.

SEMAPHORE SIGNALS: within station precinct; timber posts and arms controlled by signal boxes (2013).

Statement of Interest

Stirling is an outstanding early 20th century Railway Station in Scotland distinguished by its impressive cast-iron and glazed circular concourse with rounded ticket office to centre and decorative ironwork detailing to glazed concourse verandahs. The crowstepped gables and glazed porch to the principal elevation also add greatly to the interest of the streetscape. James Miller was an eminent Glaswegian architect renowned for his railway buildings. His circular glazed concourse at Wemyss Bay Railway Station (see separate listing) is of a similar design to his Stirling Station. Miller designed around 70 stations in Scotland during the course of his career.

Stirling Station was rebuilt after an earlier 1848 station by Perth architect Andrew Heiton (Junior) on the site. Heiton also designed a number of stations including Dunkeld and Birnham (see separate listing).

Signal boxes are a distinctive and now rare building type that make a significant contribution to Scotland's diverse industrial heritage. Of more than 2000 signal boxes built across Scotland by 1948, around 150 currently survive (2013) with all pre-1948 mechanical boxes still in operation on the public network due to become obsolete by 2021. The two signal boxes at Stirling Station are the finest, and the largest, examples of their type in the country. The Type 2 design by the Caledonian Railway first appeared in 1889 but very few examples now remain (2013). Stirling Middle has the longest mechanincal lever frame in Scotland by some distance with 96 individual levers, reconditioned by British Railways (Scottish Region) in 1950. The projecting bay window to both boxes made it easier for signalmen to communicate certain directions, via a coloured flag system, to train drivers.

Change of Category from B to A (1993). List description and Statutory Address revised as part of Scottish Signal Box Review (2012-13).

Previously listed as "Stirling Railway Station, Station Road, With North And Middle Signal Boxes And Associated Semaphore Signals".

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Stirling railway station at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q975320

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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