Description

Attributed to James Pulham & Son, circa 1895. Garden structures con-

structed at intervals around 3 sides of open lawn built in partly natural

and partly artificial Pulhamite stone, including grotto, rock garden and

rock flanked narrow passage, low wall, subterranean boat house and

ornamental paths, all designed to appear as natural outcrops.

GROTTO: rock-walled enclosure constructed around sunken pool (now filled-in) with 'rockery' masonry, bridges arched over water features, plant troughs in hollowed boulders and rock wall and shelter area under overhanging rock.

ROCK GARDEN: traditional rockery beds with large boulder construction.

PASSAGE: passage between towering, over-hanging sections of rock-wall almost meeting at head, creating small-scale ravine and made of variety of natural rock type boulders.

WALL: low wall defining outer edge of garden.

BOAT HOUSE: by man-made pond, rectangular enclosure with shallow, segmental barrel-vaulted roof, with banded masonry walls evident on interior and banded soffit. Exterior entrance obscured by overgrowth (2001).

ORNAMENTAL PATHS: footpaths constructed of sunk boulders in cyclopean effect.

Statement of Interest

The Ross Hall designed landscape is exceptional in Scotland for the Pulhamite work. It occupies a site evident as a park in the 18th century, known in the 19th century as Rosshill, owned by the Earls of Glasgow. James Cowan purchased the estate and built the present Ross Hall in 1877 (now a hospital, listed separately, 221 Crookston Road). The landscaped park was acquired by Glasgow Corporation in 1948, and opened to the public in 1967. The Boat House is described as a cave on the current edition OS map. The Pulham dynasty had been in existence as landscape designers since the 18th century. Other known (or attributed) work to date by the firm in Scotland includes sites in the Kelvingrove Park, and at Ardross. They were responsible in England for commissions at Buckingham Palace, St James Park and Sandringham. Cowan was evidently both wealthy and well-connected, the works which he funded at Ross Hall being estimated at ?20,000. Further listings at Ross Hall include the former gate lodge, 197 Crookston Road, with gatepiers and quadrants, the ornamental chimney stack, and the former stables, 161 Crookston Road.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17813439

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)