Description

Early-mid 19th century. Single arch span, plain classical bridge with pilastered piers and string course defining parapet. Coursed and snecked local whinstone with ashlar band courses, coping and caps; lime mortared.

SE AND NW ELEVATIONS: main body of bridge divided into 3 pilastered sections, central section containing round-arch span with rough whinstone voussoirs, outer sections plain and blind save for string course at base of parapet; curved wing walls to NE and SW; plain flat coping to all, punctuated by slightly raised pyramidal caps to pilastered piers. Later tarmacadam road surface.

Statement of Interest

Part of an A-Group with all other Glen estate buildings. Sited near the centre of the estate and spanning the Kill Burn. The Glen estate can be traced as far back as 1296 when Sarra of the Glen swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The estate remained in the family's hand until around 1512, when the grounds became fragmented and parts were sold to neighbouring landowners and families. By the 1700's, there were 2 main parts of the estate, Easter and Wester Glen. Easter Glen was sold to Alexander Allan (an Edinburgh banker) in 1796 for #10,500. At this point, the house was a fairly small plain farmhouse. His son, William Allan (Lord Provost of Edinburgh) was responsible for enlarging and extending the house, the architect being his friend William Playfair (see The Temple, listed separately); even after improvement it was still not regarded as being fit for a landowner's principal residence. Allan also started landscape improvements and may have been responsible for this bridge before Tennant's involvement with the estate. It sited at the core of the estate in the part that resembles a village; it straddles the Kill Burn. To the south side of the bridge is a shrubbery and walk, which leads to the walled flower garden. To the north is Sawmill Cottages and Anvil Cottage. The bridge links the informal entrance road (on which are sited the kennels, workers' cottages and former school) with the steading, factor's house, dairy and walled flower garden. The 3,500-acre estate was bought in 1852/3 by Sir Charles Tennant, owner of the chemical works of St. Rollox, Glasgow, for #33,140. The house was by then outdated and not suited to modern family life; he commissioned David Bryce to design a baronial style house, to which a tower (also by Bryce) was added in 1874. Tennant continually improved the estate landscape (1860-1890) and was responsible for the building of a school, farm, worker?s and estate cottages, walled kitchen garden and kennels making The Glen virtually self-sufficient. He may have been responsible for the further development of the shrubbery. Listed as a good example of a stone bridge within an intact later 19th century estate (other estate buildings are listed separately).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77779295

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

• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings