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Summary

Description

Mid 18th century with late 18th century additions; now roofless ruin. Near-symmetrical, U-plan group of three 4-bay blocks arranged around courtyard. Tall central 2-storey and attic block with pediment to courtyard; slightly lower 2-storey wings to N and S. Curved walls extending from wings to form entrance to courtyard. Sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings. Discontinuous string cours. Regular fenestration with projecting cills. Scrolled skewputts to W block. Vaulted basement.

Statement of Special Interest

Braxfield House is important as an example of 18th century classical domestic architecture, as one of the oldest surviving buildings on Braxfield estate, and for of its close connections with Robert Owen. Moreover Braxfield estate is one of the main designed landscape components of the Falls of Clyde designated landscape in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes, which contribute to the outstanding scenic qualities of this part of the Clyde. Though ruinous the house retains some features of interest such as the scrolled skewputts.

The estate is marked on Pont's map of the late 16th century, though the present house is somewhat later. The original building at the NW corner of the courtyard appears to have been a mid-18th century conventional small laird's house of 2 storeys with crow-stepped gables, having one main room on each side of a central doorway and staircase. It was extended in 2 phases to form a U-plan country house towards the end of the 18th century. The first phase of extensions included the addition of a single storey E range, which probably contained offices and a central gateway, and also the construction of the S range. The second phase comprised the block with pedimented central section facing into the courtyard at W and joining the earlier N and S ranges. This was intended to be the dominating feature of the house and contained the reception rooms. The curving wing walls appear to have been added at the same time as this W block and to have flanked the entrance.

Braxfield estate was acquired shortly after 1710 by John MacQueen, writer in Lanark, later sheriff-substitute of Lanarkshire. The earliest part of the house is thought to have been built for him. In 1771 the estate passed to his son, Robert, who developed the estate from that date by buying land from the Burgh of Lanark. Robert MacQueen (1722-99), whose harsh conduct on the bench earned him the title 'the hanging judge', is likely to have been responsible for the construction of the W range. The house was subsequently occupied by Robert Owen of New Lanark, 1808-1828. Tsar Nicholas I stayed here in 1816 as Owen's guest. In 1832 the estate was described by Cobbett as 'the beautiful park and mansion occupied by Messrs Walker'. At this time the house was tenanted by Charles and Henry Walker who ran the mills until the 1880s, though the McQueen family retained ownership. In 1913 the estate was combined with that of Castlebank which was by then in the ownership of the Houldsworth family. The house was abandoned when the estate was sold in 1931 and subsequently became a roofless ruin.

In 1784 part of the Braxfield estate was feued to provide the bulk of the ground on which New Lanark was to be built. New Lanark village is made up of industrial, residential and community buildings, dating predominantly from between 1786 and the 1820s. The mill complex was founded by David Dale, Glasgow merchant, in conjunction with Richard Arkwright, trailblazing inventor of the cotton industry. Dale's humane philosophy was expanded by Robert Owen, who took over management of the mill village in partnership from 1799-1825. The mills were in operation from 1786 to 1968.

Within World Heritage Site inscribed 2001.

List description updated 2010.

References

Bibliography

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