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Summary

Description

Earlier 19th century, possibly David Hamilton. 2-storey, 3-bay, rectangular plan classical villa, originally the farmhouse for the adjoining Mumrills Farm (see separate listing). Fine jointed, droved sandstone ashlar to principal elevation; sandstone ashlar dressings; roughly coursed rubble to sides and rear. Base course; raised window margins with banded outer frames; projecting ashlar lintels and cills; raised long and short quoins, strip quoins to sides and rear; projecting eaves course with blocking course. Slightly advanced central bay with raised quoins; large corniced doorpiece with moulded architrave; stepped parapet to wallhead with plain fielded panel to centre. N (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; central doorway with multipane leaded glass fanlight; 4-panel timber door. 1st floor window set directly upon cornice of doorpiece. Windows to outer bays at ground and 1st floors.

E ELEVATION: gable end: wide gablehead stack. Windows to far right of ground and 1st floors; plain margins. 1½ storey coursed rubble wall adjoining to left at ground floor, forming courtyard between main house and outbuilding to far left.

S (REAR) ELEVATION: central, rectangular stair window. Brick-built link corridor to centre at ground, connecting house to outbuilding. Windows to flanking bays at ground and 1st floors. Later, smaller window to 1st floor, off-centre right.

W ELEVATION: gable end; wide gablehead stack. 2 windows to ground floor, to far left and off-centre right.

Predominantely 12-pane timber sash and case windows. 4-panel timber door. Pitched roof; grey slates (re-roofed, late 20th century). Projecting straight ashlar skews. Capped ashlar chimney stacks to E and W with thackstanes to base; formerly with octagonal, stone, capped chimney shafts (removed c.2000, remaining in garden to E) replaced by conical clay cans with vented caps, 4 to each stack.

INTERIOR: subdivided into 4 separate flatted dwellings. Original geometrical stone staircase to U-shaped central stairwell; decorative cast iron balusters with moulded mahogany balustrade. Some original decorative cornicing to hallway.

COURTYARD/GARDEN WALLS: courtyards to the rear of house enclosed on E, W and S sides by high rubble and brick walls. Long wall to S edge, extending to W of courtyard, formerly enclosing larger walled garden beyond courtyards;doorway to far W of S wall (beyond W wall) leading to former garden area behind. Brick outbuilding built into N (courtyards) side of S wall. Random, coursed ashlar rubble to public elevations; coursed red brick to private elevations; plain, ashlar caps. E wall broken by E elevation of outbuilding (possibly later); doorway to far right of E wall leading to courtyard.

OUTBUILDING: large, T-plan, red brick outbuilding in courtyard to rear of house, possibly later, built into S and E courtyard wall. Linked to main house by flat-roofed link corridor to N; piended roofed outshot to E and lean-to outshot to W (resting against rear wall). Possibly a wash-house or workshop.

Statement of Special Interest

This classical farmhouse, demonstrating some fine ashlar detailing and the remains of formally planned grounds, is thought to be the work of David Hamilton, one of Scotlands most celebrated architects of the 19th century. Mumrills House was built sometime between 1825 and 1835, most likely for a Mr Robert Walker, located on a prominent site above the E side of Falkirk, although today (2005) the house is mostly hidden by extensive planting. The house served as the farmhouse for the adjoining Mumrills Farm (see separate listing), both of which appear to have been part of the Kerse Estate at the time of building. A previous farm settlement on this site is marked on early 19th century maps as part of the Kinneil Estate. The exact date that Mumrills passed into the possession of the Kerse estate is unknown, although it is likely to be before 1825, when the first farm developments are mapped. The house may be the work of celebrated Glasgow architect David Hamilton, who was working in Falkirk during this time, and who built a number of houses in a similar style. The large barn of the farm has many similarities to the Stable block at Callendar House, which is also thought to be the work of David Hamilton.

References

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