Merchistoun Hall

Merchistoun Hall is an early 19th-century house, altered considerably around 1830 with a late 19th-century concert hall extension and a 1920s service wing. The house is stuccoed, with incised lines to imitate masonry, and has a hipped slate roof with five hips to the rear. Chimneys are of cemented construction. It displays five windows across two storeys. The first floor has five mullioned and transomed casements with leaded lights, replacing earlier nine-pane sashes. The ground floor windows are taller, mullioned, and transomed; some may have originally been French windows. The central doorcase retains an early 19th-century fanlight with a rectangular moulded architrave, corner fans and a round-headed fanlight with thin Gothic glazing bars. A 20th-century door is now in place. A later 19th-century colonnade of twelve Tuscan columns, with a 1920s tiled roof sweeping around the side elevation, incorporates four columns. The left side elevation features two French windows on the ground floor. The right side elevation shows a French window with original shutters and two 19th-century casements to the first floor. A late 19th-century stuccoed concert hall extension, with a slate roof, extends to the northwest, and a 1920s painted brick service wing extends to the northeast. The interior features a hall with two circa 1830 six-panelled doors, each with reeded surrounds and lion mask paterae, and an arched, reeded entrance to the staircase hall, also reeded, with lion head paterae. An elliptical fanlight and six-panelled double doors are also present. A fine early 19th-century staircase has three iron stick balusters to each tread, with iron balusters featuring paterae every third tread. The tread ends are scrolled and the handrail is of mahogany. There are three early 19th-century six-panelled doors on the ground floor of the staircase hall, one on the half landing, and six to the first floor. Some 1920s mantelpieces are present, and are not considered of particular architectural interest. Historical records indicate the site was owned by a Joseph Franklin in 1804. Between 1812 and 1836 it was known as Quallet’s Grove and was owned by Colonel James Conway. From 1836 to 1860, the house was the home of Admiral Sir Charles Napier, known for the Battle of Cape Vincent in 1833 and the capture of Acre. The house was renamed Merchistoun Hall in reference to his birthplace in Stirlingshire.