Coach House, Stable Courtyard, The Glen, Traquair, Scottish Borders

Description

David Bryce, 1854 with additions and alterations 1874 (also Bryce) and Robert Lorimer, circa 1905. 3 buildings and a range set around rectangular courtyard with canted corner comprising 1?-storey, multi-bayed, rectangular-plan Scots Baronial stable block with advanced 2-storey gabled entrance pend (leading to inner courtyard) and projecting wing; heightened vernacular rectangular-plan SW range with adjoined 1?-storey Baronialised carriage house with later cylindrical stair tower; similarly styled 1?-storey building to N with canted sides; informal entrance to NW flanked by tall ashlar gatepiers. Coursed whinstone with stugged cream sandstone ashlar dressings with chamfered arrises; cream sandstone entrance fronts and tower, whinstone cylindrical tower. Crowstepped gables with moulded kneeler putts and assorted decorative stone finials. Flagged courtyard to E with herringbone brick to W and within entrance pend.

STABLE:

SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: to left, 2-storey gabled entrance with moulded arched entrance pend flanked by small stepped angle buttresses (pend contains 2-leaf arched timber boarded studded gates with ornate scroll hinges and banding with fleur-de-lis detail); upper floor delineated by stepped corbelled moulding encompassing small central window with round clock surmounting, rope moulding to exterior of all; crowstepped gable with moulded putts and stone finial; stack to right return of attic. Adjoining to right, 4 bay stables with gun-loop ventilation to ground floor, slightly projecting balustraded parapet broken by 4 stone gabled wallhead dormers (with thistle finials to outer bays and rose finials to central bays); advanced bay to right with canted entrance door in re-entrant angle, angle tourelle leading to gable end with corbelled stepped upper storey (courtyard entrance adjoining to right). To courtyard (NE elevation): plain arched entrance pend with remnants of clock to gablehead and SW range built up against right; to left, 6 bays within courtyard (door flanked by window arrangement) with central ashlar niche containing iron watering trough, wallhead dormers with louvred ventilation above 3rd bay and between bays 4 and 5; timber gable above bays 1 and 2, variety of rooflight. To far left, wall enclosing courtyard and forming now derelict store with door leading to exterior and flight of stone stairs leading to rear of SE elevation's projecting bay (contains door to lower ground floor left with arched wing wall and ventilator above and large window to upper floor with further ? storey ventilator within store. To left return, crowstepped gable end with curved angles to ground floor corbelling out to square angle upper floor: segmental-arched entrance with 2-leaf timber boarded doors to lower ground floor left and window to right; central moulded plaque containing emblems of the Glenconner of Glen arms (2 crescent with boar's head surmounting) to ? storey with small gablehead window below gablehead stack and tourelle to left.

SW RANGE: to exterior (SW), heightened wallhead forming wall with gable headed dormer (return of entrance) to right. To courtyard (NE), irregularly spaced 4 bay ground floor with alternate window door fenestration; to former upper floor, 7 now blind horizontally placed rectangular windows; wallhead now heightened (see NOTES).

OLDER NW COACH HOUSE: to courtyard (SE) elevation, 3 segmental-headed cart arches to ground floor, each with 2-leaf timber boarded doors with plain iron hinges; to upper level, stone gable headed dormers breaking eaves to outer bays and small off central roof light; left return encompassed by later swimming pool complex. Adjoining to extreme right (and continuing onto right return) single bay, 2-storey conical stair tower with door to ground floor, small window to rear at ? storey and small window to upper level above door; semi-conical roof with stone stalk and ball finial breaking crow-stepped gable and meeting main roof; rest of right return blind. To rear (NW) elevation, blind ground floor with 3 regularly placed stone gabled dormers breaking eaves. Gablehead stacks.

INFORMAL (N) ENTRANCE: pair of tall near square ashlar gatepiers with projecting base course and moulded flat cap (they adjoin stair towers of older and later coach houses); gates now missing.

LATER COACH HOUSE: to courtyard (S), long rectangular entrance to ground floor left with paired 2-leaf timber gates (chamfered angle to ground floor left rising into corbelled upper storey); to right, altered window and entrance door; to upper floor, pair of centrally placed stone gabled dormers breaking eaves (right window shorter) with triangular pitched ventilator to roof. Blind canted left return with conical stair tower (with rear entrance door and window to upper storey) to left and store formed between attached gatepier and courtyard angle. Canted right return with window and door to ground floor left, small store adjoining to right of centre and linking to stable block. To exterior (N) elevation: regularly fenestrated 4-bay elevation with slightly lower windows to bays 3 and 4; 4 aligned gabled dormers breaking eaves, bays 3 and 4 with longer windows (rose finials to outer bays, thistle finals to central bays, also carved plaque within 4th bay dormer); rounded angle to ground floor right with squared upper angle corbelling out and canted ground floor left angle with corbelled tourelle to upper floor. Rear of linking store adjoins to left.

8, 9 and 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; to stable block, 6-pane fanlight, variety of paned Carron roof lights and large 4-panel glazed section lighting stalls with louvred ventilators in attic dormers. Pitched slate roof with stone ridging. Eaves course carrying painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Tall ashlar gablehead stacks with stepped base, neck cope and plain cans (some now removed).

INTERIOR: stable block with flagged ground floor, timber and decorative iron loose boxes remain intact with attached timber saddle rack, moulded cornicing, central atrium above stalls, timber boarded doors with moulded surrounds; stone stair with plain metal balusters and timber handrail lead to upper level. Garaging to ground floors of other buildings (formerly cart and car arches) with fairly plain rooms to upper levels. SW range rooms run under present swimming pool.

Statement of Interest

Part of an A-Group with all other Glen estate buildings. 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. 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. The stables and their remodelling were undertaken by Bryce (remodelling formed part of a 2nd phase of architectural improvements to the house and estate by him). His earlier whinstone stable block (overlooking the main house) was re-faced in ashlar to match the kitchen wing and the balustraded parapet added to harmonise the overall look of the courtyard. A glazed section was also added between the coach house and newer rear building (probably another coach house, which may have been altered by Lorimer to form a garage with chauffeur accommodation above). Due to the natural rise in the land to the SW, the SW range's wallhead was heightened and used to enclose the area to the rear forming a large glasshouse/conservatory behind (now the swimming pool). Later, Lorimer added the cylindrical towers to the rear buildings which compliment those on the lodge and walled garden. The interior of the disused stables (including the loose boxes) remains intact. The other buildings are all presently in use as garaging, offices and stores. Listed as an outstanding example of a Bryce stable block with alterations by Lorimer and for its importance at the centre of an intact later 19th century estate (other estate buildings are listed separately).

External Links

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