Braidwood House, Braidwood, Carluke, South Lanarkshire

Description

Braidwood House is a small country mansion, built in a neo-gothic style in the early 19^th century, and extended to the east in 1929-30 to the designs of Lorimer and Matthew. Both phases are rectangular on plan, with a central light-well to the later addition. The house is built of coursed and stugged ashlar sandstone with polished ashlar dressings, and features gothic detailing throughout, including a large, ornate porch. It is set within its own extensive gardens and parkland, on the outskirts of Braidwood village in South Lanarkshire. In the later 20^th century the building was used as a care home and then latterly as an office, the building has been unoccupied for a number of years (2022).

The main house is two-storeys over basement, with a four-bay principal (south) elevation. There is a single-storey canted bay window to the left, with segmental-headed openings, stone mullions and transoms. The entrance bay to left-of-centre projects slightly and is gabled with an ornate corbelled chimney over a round-headed window. The porch has a pitched roof with a central finial, pointed-arched openings and stone side panels with carved trefoils. The main opening is framed by a pair of large octagonal piers on chamfered bases with elaborate finals to the domed caps. There are a further two bays which are symmetrically arranged.

The west elevation of the main house is three bays with a single storey canted bay window to the left. This bay is projected slightly and is gabled with a corbelled chimney stack matching that of the main elevation. There is a further chimney stack between the other two bays. The rear (north) elevation is plainer with multiple bays and an exposed basement. A two-bay central gabled block projects to the centre, with a chimney. Crossing the basement level at the central bays is a modern wooden addition, giving level access to the ground floor (to be excluded from the listing). At the southeast end of the original house there are stone steps to the basement level which features irregular openings and a coal store which was added in 1930. The side (east) elevation of the main house is abutted by the later wing (see below).

The window openings largely have raised and moulded surrounds with some label moulds, and round-headed openings on the ground floor. The rear has plain square-headed openings with ashlar cills and some blind windows. The windows are mainly timber sash and case with a 12-pane glazing pattern. The roofs are piended and slated with an M-profile over the east half and a flat section to the centre containing a pyramidal roof light. The roof is partially concealed behind a parapet, which has a moulded cornice to the eaves. There are many clustered chimneystacks, which top the wallhead gables or break the parapet to the eaves. Each cluster generally has two or three offset diamond stacks with a gablet motif to the base and largely hexagonal clay pots.

Adjoining the east elevation is the two-storey east wing, added 1929-1930 which has a piended slate roof and a central chimneystack reused from the original ancillary building previously attached to the house. The main (south) elevation has stugged stonework and detailing matching that of the main house. It is three-bays with larger ground floor windows and a projecting, gabled bay to the right with partially stepped skews and a decoratively carved sundial dated AD 1930, with scrolls and floral motifs, mounted between the windows. The side (east) elevation is rendered with stop and start moulded window surrounds in polished ashlar. A later two-storey, flat-roofed block adjoins to the right (excluded from the listing). The rear (north) elevation has a gabled bay to the left, with a chimney matching those of the main house. The elevation is entirely fronted by a lower two-storey block of the same date, which is plainly detailed with rendered walls, a piended slate roof and regular window openings that are bipartite on the ground floor. Connected to the centre of its rear (north) elevation is a three-bay single-storey building with a pyramidal roof. Both these buildings are rendered with masonry cills.

Later additions to the main house and east wing include a two-storey access tower to the southeast elevation and a single-storey wooden pavilion attached to the central rear bay, giving level access over the basement. These additions are proposed to be excluded from the listing (see below).

We have not seen the interior of the building (2022). We understand from historic images and sales particulars (from 1996, 2014 and 2018) that some architectural detailing may still exist such as a decorative tracery style cast iron balustrade to the main stair, moulded timber door surrounds with oversized cornices, and a decorative glazed timber screen to the entrance hall. There is evidence of a music room in the east wing which is known to have had ornate plasterwork cornices, an organ inbuilt into the wall, and a painted mural over a large decorative fireplace with a carved surround.

The former approach to the house from the west (known as South Lodge) is a gated entrance with three large ornate octagonal piers in the gothic style built from polished ashlar sandstone with fluted caps and pinnacles (two pinnacles missing, 2022). Between these piers are metal gates (thought to be later steel replacements) with decorative fleur-de-lis style railing heads and quatrefoils (excluded from the listing). There is a short length of boundary wall to each side built of coursed ashlar sandstone with saddlebacked coping with raised ridge which terminates at two smaller octagonal piers.

The South Lodge is the to the southwest of the main house set behind small boundary wall dates to the early 20^th century and has been extensively altered. In the grounds to the east of the house is an early 20^th century garage and at the east entrance is a set of simple square gate piers. To the northeast is a single arched bridge likely dating to the earlier 19^th century. These buildings are excluded from the listing (see below).

Historical development

It is thought Braidwood House was built in the early 19^th century for Nathaniel Stevenson and is first shown on the 1^st edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1857 to 1858, published 1860). It remained a private house until 1971 when it became a care home.

During the early 19^th century, the Clyde Valley underwent a large amount of urbanisation with the advancement of industries in the area and saw the building of several new country houses. Many of the newly wealthy moved out of the large urban areas, moving away from the overcrowding and outbreaks of disease in the large cities.

In 1812 the 'Farm and Lands of Braidwood', at around 210 (Scots) acres were for sale at auction. It is mentioned in the newspaper advertisement that there is a 'good situation for building upon the Braidwood burn' suggesting there wasn't already a house associated with site (Caledonian Mercury, 1812). By 1819 Nathaniel Stevenson a lawyer from Glasgow was being referred to as Nathaniel Stevenson of Braidwood in a newspaper article (Caledonian Mercury, 1819).

On the William Forrest map of the County of Lanarkshire (imprinted 1816) there are two buildings shown near where Braidwood House now sits, however it is unclear if these are the current house or earlier buildings, as the road layout has been altered since this time. Based on map evidence, the house was likely built between 1816 and 1838 when the first child of Nathaniel and Margaret Stevenson is recorded as being born at Braidwood House (Caledonian Mercury, 1838).

Braidwood House is described in the New Statistical Account, (published 1845 and written in 1839). Under the title 'Modern Buildings of the Parish, it notes that. "…the only edifices in the parish which have any pretence of architectural beauty are three in number".

The footprint of the older part of the house has changed little from the first Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1857 to 1858, published 1860). The footprint is shown as a rectangular plan house with the original U-plan ancillary wing adjoining to the east elevation. The only change to the footprint of the main house has been the insertion of ground floor level access to the rear, inserted prior to 1963 (Ordnance Survey Map, 1963). An old image of Braidwood House (pre-1930) shows that the principal elevation of the main house has remained relatively unchanged since this time.

The house was bought by (David) John Colville 1^st Baron Clydesmuir, in around 1917. Changes to the property were made in 1929-30 to the designs of Edinburgh architectural practice of Lorimer and Matthew. As part of these works, the earlier single-storey U-plan ancillary wing, which included a garage, stables, harness room and coachman's rooms, was replaced by a substantial new wing. This new wing contained the principal bedroom, boudoir, day nursery and an ornate music room, with service rooms and servants' quarters. The front elevation was designed to match the style and materials of the main house and two bays of the original wing that adjoined the house, were incorporated into this new wing. Stones and architectural features were reused from the earlier ancillary building, such as the original chimney stack, whilst other features were carefully emulated to ensure the building matched the main house. As part of these works, some changes were made to the rear elevation of the original house, including the opening of at least one of four blind windows, only one of which remains blind (2022).

Lodge houses at the north and south (west) gates do not appear on a map until the Ordnance Survey National Grid map published in 1958 (revised pre1930 to 1957). It is likely given the style of the South Lodge that these were added around the same time as the east wing. This mapping also shows the main house (northwest) has relatively the same footprint has before. The rear of the house now has a small addition spanning the basement access. There are also some changes to ancillary outbuildings, including the addition of a garage in the woodland to the east of the house

In 1971 the building was sold by the Colville family and became a care home eventually run by Capability Scotland. It was then bought by the Airbourne Initiative and briefly used as a facility to prevent young prisoners from re-offending, after which it became an office for the Forestry Commission. These changes in use resulted in the alteration of the internal fabric for institutional use but the extent of alteration remains unclear. Changes also included the addition of a later 20th century two-storey access tower to the southeast elevation, which has an external metal encased stair or ramp, covered in corrugated metal (all excluded from the listing). There was a large fire at the house in 1980 which badly damaged the roof and caused internal damage. The level of damage is unclear, although it took almost around 18 months for the residents to move back in (Wishaw Press 1981).

Statement of Interest

Braidwood House, etc., meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

The house is a good representative example of a small country villa that demonstrates quality of design and construction in its well-detailed gothic style.

Although altered, the building retains much of its early 19^th century architectural and historic character to the exterior, particularly to the front elevation.

The 20^th century wing is carefully designed and detailed to complement the earlier house and represents the work of a leading architectural firm in Scotland.

Its setting is largely retained, within a small, enclosed estate with elements of designed gardens still evident.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: two-storey flat roofed addition to east, all metal fire escapes, single-storey addition to rear of main house, South Lodge, gates at South Lodge, gate piers to east entrance, bridge in grounds to east and all other outbuildings.

Architectural interest

Design

Braidwood House is a well-proportioned, small country mansion, which is a good representative example for its early to mid 19^th century date. The design is of definite architectural quality, which is particularly evident in in the gothic features, such as the clustered chimney stacks, the ornate porch, and other decorative details throughout. This style draws on medieval architecture and developed from the later 18^th century with a move away from previous formal nature of classical style buildings. The Gothic Revival style became popular in Scotland and by around the 1840s was particularly prominent in ecclesiastical architecture.

The design was likely influenced by notable examples of this style being applied to new and remodelled houses in Lanarkshire that include Cambusnethan House/Priory, 1819 (LB47593, Category A) and The Lee, 1834-5 (LB13056, Category B), which were both designed by leading Scottish architect, James Gillespie Graham. Although the design, scale and architectural ambition of the design of Braidwood is more reserved than the buildings cited here, it demonstrates a high level of artistic skill and detailing for a building of this size.

The architect of the original house is unknown (see 'Other Information' below). The 1929-30 additions and alterations were designed by the prominent Scottish architectural partnership of Sir Robert Lorimer and John Fraser Matthew. The drawings and plans (National Record of the Historic Environment) are dated 1928 and 1929. As Lorimer died in September 1929, the changes at Braidwood may predominantly be the work of Matthew. The practice's work at this time included the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle (Scheduled Monument SM90130) and buildings at the University of Edinburgh's King's Building, including the Crew Building (LB44227, category B), the Grant Institute (LB28004, category B), the Ashworth Building (LB44230, category B) and the Sanderson Building (LB44229, category B).

The later addition to the east uses matching stonework and high-quality detailing throughout, combining well-detailed new features with existing ones that were reused from the earlier ancillary wing. This served to effectively blend the extension with the original house, increasing its scale and adding to its sense of grandeur. The level of craftsmanship throughout both the house and the later addition, adds to its special design interest.

We have not seen the interior of the building because of safety reasons. However, we understand that the building was altered for institutional use in the later 20^th century and has suffered fire damage, first in 1980, and more recently, as well as vandalism. It is unclear how much of the interior remains. Available photographs from 1996 (HES Archive) and 2014 indicate that some decorative features from the 19^th century and the early 20^th century alterations were retained, some of which may still survive.

These features are largely typical for a villa of this date, but their survival would add further to the special interest of the building under this heading. The level of decorative detail in the music room in the east wing was unusual for its 1930 date and may be of particular significance depending on the level of current survival. Stemming from the Arts and Crafts movement which began in the late 19^th century, the room displayed high quality craftsmanship and a level of decorative detailing that complemented the design ethos of the main house.

Early 19^th century country villas had a variety of plan forms. This was a period of change in which there was a move to separate the public areas from the private, allowing the household privacy from their servants.

There were some minor alterations to the internal layout in the early and later 20th century but it is common for larger houses of this age and type to have been reconfigured or subdivided over time. The level of change to the original layout of Braidwood House is unclear but from the available information (including images, sales particulars and the 1930 plans), the early plan form appears to be retained. The rooms are well-proportioned, with high ceilings and are arranged around the central galleried hall and stair, with service rooms located in the basement, or parts of the rear. This arrangement is typical for a villa of this this date and type and its survival is of interest.

The plan form of the east wing is also of interest as it will be amongst the last phase in which large houses continued to incorporate domestic servants' quarters and rooms. Many of these ancillary features had become redundant due to the social changes that followed the First World War.

The house is built of coursed stugged ashlar sandstone with polished ashlar dressings, which is a common building material in Lanarkshire. The later addition uses matching stonework and high-quality detailing throughout, combining new stonework and decorative details with existing features that were reused from the earlier ancillary wing. This serves to blend the extension with the original house. The level of care and craftsmanship throughout both the house and the later addition, add to its design interest.

Whilst there have been some changes to the building and a change of use in the late 20^th century, the building retains much of its historic character, and this authenticity is of special interest under this heading.

Braidwood House is a good example of a small country mansion built at a time of change in Scotland. It retains its 19^th century detailing and with the exception of the original ancillary wing, the footprint is largely unchanged. The 1930s addition is well executed and matches the style and material of the original house. While the building has undergone some alteration and loss of internal features in the later 20th century including some alterations to the interior, its design is of special interest.

Setting

Braidwood House is located on the western edge of the village of Braidwood to the south of Carluke and above the Clyde Valley. The house faces Southwest towards the Clyde River, and is set in its own estate grounds, of nearly 60 acres. It is not visible form the roads that surround it due to woodland and the house itself is secluded and surrounded by trees within the estate grounds.

When the lands of Braidwood were for sale in 1812 this included 202 (Scots) Acres, the equivalent of c260 imperial acres. It is not clear how much of this land was part of Nathaniel Stevenson's estate. From the first 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1857-1858) the immediate grounds around the house which are bounded on three sides by the roads (and village) and to the north by the railway line, would equate to roughly 120 acres.

The immediate setting of the house remains generally the same from the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1857-58. The house is depicted with trees immediately surrounding it on three sides and with parkland to the south-southwest, west and north including some encircled tree plantations. This map also shows a woodland and curling pond, with the railway line to the far north. Most of these features remain today, albeit the land to the far north has seen some change, following later use as part of a brick and tile works, which is now gone but two ponds now feature as a remnant of this industrial use as well as the building of two houses further to the north. These are not intervisible with the house and are at the periphery of the estate grounds and do not impact on its setting.

Also depicted on the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey Map are three entrances with driveways, they are to the west (known as south entrance) and to the north with a branch leaving this to the east. From the mapping it appears all three entrances have gates, with that to the west appearing the largest with possible same configuration of gate piers and is presumably the main entrance. These driveways all remain today although have in some parts been blocked or reduced to pathways. In the early 20^th century (perhaps the same time as the east wing was added) two gate lodges were added to the edge of the estate, the South Lodge and North Lodge. Today the North Lodge has been demolished and any gate piers removed. The South Lodge has been extended in the 21^st century and no longer provides access to the main house, however with the gate piers this is still readable as the entrance to a large house.

From the mapping some elements of a designed landscape can still be seen although many of the trees have self-seeded and the estate is in general overgrown.

The house forms a group with the other estate buildings, including, the access bridge, gate piers to the east, the south lodge and gate piers and the garage. Other than the South Lodge gate piers, they do not add significantly to the special interest of the listed building and are excluded from the listing, however they do contribute to our understanding of a small country house and its setting.

The historic setting of Braidwood House has changed very little, it remains a distinctive property within the area, set in its own large grounds, surrounded by tree plantations and entrances indicating a large property out of sight. The immediate and wider setting of the building adds to our understanding of Braidwood House's function as a country mansion and the historic context of these buildings.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

The older a building is, and the fewer of its type that survive, the more likely it is to be of special interest. Domestic architecture in Scotland experienced a boom period from 1770 to 1840, particularly as wealthier people moved away from the urban areas to avoid the overcrowding and disease that resulted from increased industrialisation. During this period the Clyde Valley saw a large amount of urbanisation, with the advancement of industries in the area, leading to the construction of several new country houses.

Whilst many examples of small country villas were constructed across Scotland during the 19^th century, those that survive and that retain much of their original character and form are now relatively rare. Close, Gifford and Walker note (2016, p.48) that the number of country mansions now lost in the area is significant, with 29 buildings in Lanarkshire alone being listed as demolished or gutted.

Braidwood House dates to the early 19^th century with substantial early 20^th century additions. Although not particularly early for small country mansion, it is an important representative example of a gothic style villa. It displays a high level of detailing and retains much of its historic character. Although altered by a significant 20th century wing, the design quality of the addition complements the original house and adds to its special interest.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

Houses are a very common building type, and they all have some degree of social historical interest because they show how people lived. Braidwood House, was built as a new estate as part of a rise in a new landed class, brought about by the Scottish Enlightenment and the economic growth of the country, which included industrialisation and urbanisation of the Clyde Valley. Whilst country mansions at the centre of an estate do have some social historical interest, especially locally, these buildings were relatively common and there is no special interest under this heading.

Association with people or events of national importance

The Stevenson family who originally lived here were important locally with the sons of Nathaniel Stevenson, all became high ranking military officers. The house was owned by the (David) John Colville,1^st Baron Clydesmuir. Important locally the Colville family were one of the largest employers in Lanarkshire, owning David Colville & Sons steel works (Ravenscraig Steel works) one of the largest steel works in the country. He was also an MP from 1929 to 1943, serving as the Secretary of State for Scotland 1938 to 1940. Following this he was appointed the Governor of Bombay (1943-48) and in 1948 was awarded a peerage as Baron Clydesmuir of Braidwood, County of Lanark.

Although there were a number of notable local persons who resided at Braidwood, there is no association with a person or event of national importance.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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.