Description

Circa 1906 with later alterations and additions to side and rear. Originally L-plan gabled and buttressed hall with pointed-arched bold flowing loop details to windows and timber cupola; short arm set back to right (S). Stugged and snecked red sandstone with polished ashlar dressings. Base course; cill course; ashlar band course; raised and stepped, coped title block with carved "RUSSELL MEMORIAL HALL" forming pediment base; empty 2-centred arched niche with hood mould to gablehead; stepped block to gable skews at apex. Chamfered surrounds to windows; pointed-arched hood-moulds; long and short quoins at rear.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: single bay with lean-to addition to right (S). Pointed-arched loop traceried window to centre, flanked by buttresses, set back from angles. Window set to left of centre in lean-to.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: irregular 10-bay, grouped 6-2-2. 6-bay lean-to addition to re-entrant angle of L: modern door in bay to right; 5 windows, regularly disposed in remaining bays to left. Advanced, 2-bay short arm of L: pointed-arched loop traceried window in each bay, flanked and divided by 3 aproned buttresses; blank gablehead, slightly recessed, as at front, above. 2-bay addition, with gabled bay offset to right to outer right (E end): timber panelled door in chamfered and quoined surround in bay to left; bipartite window beneath gable in bay to right.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: 5-bay with gabled addition to outer left (E end). 3-light point-arched window with segmental-arched moulded surround in each bay; aproned buttress between each bay. 2 blocked openings, evenly disposed to gabled addition.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-sided projection with polygonal roof to right of centre; bipartites to each side. Brick pitch-roof addition, with further lean-to addition set to left of centre; tall rendered stack to outer left.

Various glazing patterns to include some leaded stained glass to S; aluminium casements to additions. Grey slate roof; modern roofing material to additions; coped skews; cast-iron rainwater goods with broad crenellated hoppers.

INTERIOR: not seen 2000.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: replaced square-plan sandstone piers with chamfered square caps; low stugged sandstone walls with ridged ashlar cope; simple cast-iron railings with regularly disposed trefoil motifs.

Statement of Interest

In 1891 Archibald Russell bought the site on which the former schoolhouse stood in order to prevent the erection of tenement buildings which would have overlooked the church and churchyard. In 1904 the site was gifted to Bothwell Parish Church and upon his death in 1906, Russell's widow had the present hall erected in his memory, also providing an annual sum for its upkeep, forever preventing obtrusive development in the proximity of the village focal point, the church. The stylish cupola and crisp Art Nouveau stonework at the windows give it particular architectural interest.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77773808

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

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)