Description
Range of early to later 19th century stable and estate buildings, gathered randomly around cobbled yard on ground rising to N with boundary walls to E and SW sides and bordered to SE by earlier, mid 18th century stable court (see seperate listing).
Early to mid 19th century, 2-storey, 10-bay (5 wide arcaded bays to ground floor), rectangular plan stable block to NW; 1828, 2-storey, 3-stage, square-plan dovecot and former kennel adjoining to NE with prominent crenellated parapet and continuous deep string course between 1st and 2nd stage. Coursed and tooled cream ashlar sandstone to principal (SE) stable elevation; sandstone rubble to dovecot and sides and rear of stable. Base course; plain string course; narrow strip quoins; plain margins. Later 19th century, L-plan, single storey addition adjoining to SW. Later 19th century, single storey, 11-bay curved stable block to NE side of yard. Tall, single storey, 7-bay implement shed to SW of yard.
NW STABLE BLOCK, SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central segemental-arched, keystoned carriage opening; projecting ashlar imposts; 2-leaf, boarded timber doors. Pair of narrower, segmental archways to either side; coursed ashlar infill to far left-hand bay with single rectangular, window to centre. Arch to penultimate bay left divided by ashlar pier; single doorways to either side; diamond-paned, glazed fanlights. Timber boarded screens to arches to right of centre; both with doorway inset to left with single, diamond-paned glazing to right. 8 narrow, pointed-arch 1st floor windows between 2 wider pointed-arched windows to outer bays. NW ELEVATION: 5-bay, single storey on higher ground at 1st floor level; central doorway off-set to left; narrow rectangular windows to flanking bays. INTERIOR: some stalls with timber-boarded partitions; large ball-finialed newels; open timber ceiling. Upper floor with boarded timber flooring; open timber ceiling.
DOVECOT, NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 2-storey, 3-stage (ground floor level with stable to 1st floor); low, central doorway into kennels at first stage; enlarged window above giving access to dovecot (access by ladder only). Central, blind window to 3rd stage; continuous cill-course forms alighting ledge. SW ELEVATION: 3 small, barred openings to 1st stage. Window to 3rd stage; blind, with 4 arched flight holes to base, 3 further holes above, separated by thin stone alighting ledge. SE ELEVATION: stable block adjoing at 1st stage; single, central window to 3rd stage. NW ELEVATION: 3 small, barred openings to 1st stage; single, central, blind window to 3rd stage. INTERIOR: former kennels to 1st stage; central passage with cells to left and right. Dovecot above; stone nesting boxes lining walls.
NE STABLE BLOCK: single storey, 11-bay, curved stable block. Tooled sandstone rubble; long and short rubble-work to openings; plain, raised strip margins. S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: alternate doorway and single, diamond-paned windows to 1st 9 bays to left with timber-boarded, two-section stable doors. Adjoining 2-bay, advanced, gabled block adjoining to right; original wall to ground floor cill level; later coursed concrete block above; 2 lying rectangular openings at original wallhead level. N (REAR) ELEVATION: built into hillside; single rubble course above ground level with curved roof. INTERIOR: single interior space (2004); previously divided into 5 stalls by wooden partitions (1 timber beam remains, 2004); rendered walls; replacement, exposed A-frame timber roof structure. Two low, stone stalls in adjoining bay to right; possibly pig sty.
IMPLEMENT SHED: single storey, 7-bay, rectangular plan implement shed. Coursed and tooled sandstone ashlar; random rubble to rear; droved quoins. NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 6 regularly spaced cast-iron columns, supporting continuous timber eaves course; overhanging eaves. Open to NW side. SE ELEVATION: single rectangular slit window to centre.
COBBLED YARD: remains of cobbled yard to front of NW and NE stable blocks; small stone setts. Becoming submerged under earth and loose stone (2004).
BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES: coped rubble walls between buildings, enclosing yard to S and E. 2-leaf, cast-iron gates to E; spearhead finials. 2-leaf, late 20th century metal gates to SW.
Statement of Special Interest
A-Group comprises 'Callendar House' (HB 31236), and the associated 'Glenbrae Lodge and Gates' (HB 31235), 'Callendar House, Small Bridge on South Axis of House' (HB 31237), 'Callendar House Sundial' (HB 31238), 'Stable Court, Including Cobbled Yard' (HB 31239), 'Factor's House' (HB 46545), 'Dry Bridge' (HB 31240), 'Mausoleum' (HB 31241), 'Atrium House (Former Gardener's Cottage), Including Gatepiers' (HB 50224), 'Kennels' (HB 50894), 'Policy Walls' (HB 50896) and 'Wellhead' (HB 50897), see separate entries.
This is the second, later group of stable buildings to be built for the Callendar Estate, dating from roughly the same time period as the Factor's House (which sits to the N) and the Dry Bridge. It is also contemporary with the installation of the library into the main house by David Hamilton, circa 1827-1828.
Callendar House and its associated buildings are some of the most significant and prominent buildings in Falkirk. The Lands of Callendar were granted to the Livingston family in the mid 14th century, and they retained possession of the estate for nearly 400 years. The estate was forfeited to the Government after the Jacobite rising in 1715, who in turn sold on the estate. Callendar was bought by William Forbes in the late 18th century, a copper merchant from London, who continued to develop the mansion and the estate. The Forbes family brought architect David Hamilton to work on Callendar, and as benefactors, were also instrumental to the development of Falkirk as a modern 19th century town. The estate remained in the possession of the Forbes family until 1963, when it was sold to the now defunct Falkirk Burgh Council. The Burgh Council were responsible for planning the high-rise housing within Callendar Park, and also the development of the walled garden as a College of Education (now the Callendar Business Park). However they did no work on the House, which remained derelict and boarded-up until 1997, when it was restored by the present Council.
Both these stable buildings, and the adjoining Stable Court (see separate listing) are now used by Falkirk District Council as storage for the Parks and Gardens department.
Callendar Stable Block lies within the amenity zone for the Antonine Wall recommended in D N Skinner The Countryside of the Antonine Wall (1973), and which will form the basis of the buffer zone, yet to be defined, for the proposed Antonine Wall World Heritage Site.