Walled Garden Including Glasshouses And Sundial, Tulliallan Castle

Walled Garden Including Glasshouses and Sundial, Tulliallan Castle

This walled garden complex dates primarily to the early 19th century and represents a substantial Victorian-era kitchen garden installation with later additions. The main square-plan walled garden measures approximately 89 metres by 96 metres and is constructed in Flemish garden-wall bond red brick with droved saddle-backed sandstone ashlar coping. The walls are substantial masonry structures, with the northern wall particularly high and featuring slightly advanced coped sections at mid-wall height to the east and west. Two segmental arched chimney flues, now blocked, pierce the north and west elevations; the southern face of the north wall is whitewashed to reflect heat for the glasshouses. The northern wall slopes to meet the raised eastern and western walls, while the eastern wall steps northward. A central east-west wall bisects the garden into roughly equal northern and southern sections. Multiple segmental arched door openings pierce the north, east and west walls and the central dividing wall, though most are now blocked; an opening to the north of the east wall has been enlarged with two-leaf timber barn doors, and a large modern opening admits vehicles to the south wall for car parking. The original central opening through the dividing wall has been narrowed and framed with stone ball finials.

The main conservatory and glasshouse range occupies the southern side of the north wall and spans its entire width. This circa 1907 suite by Mackenzie & Moncur Ltd is symmetrical about a central canted two-stage conservatory supported by four original cast-iron load-bearing columns. The conservatory features decorated cast-iron staging and a decorative wrought-iron finial. Flanking lean-to glasshouses in three sections extend either side: the outer sections formerly functioned as peach and pear houses while the inner double sections served as vine houses. All are set on low brick bases with timber astragal glazing, which was renewed between 1995 and 2001. The heating system dates to the late 19th century and was originally coal-powered before conversion to oil; it comprises double and single flow and return cast-iron pipes, lattice floor grilles, pierced angle brackets, and winding gear, with some original guttering surviving. Teak framing and rectangular slate water troughs are retained.

A lean-to potting shed stands off-centre to the left of the north wall, featuring a glazed timber-panelled door with side lights opening to the conservatory and glasshouses. Seven linked metal windows light the left side with two additional windows to the right, the outer of which is blocked. Red brick construction with slate roof and doors to both side returns; the interior contains a long workbench and former offices now converted to lavatories. Underfloor heating continues from the adjacent glasshouse range.

A separate rectangular-plan pitched-roof glasshouse stands to the north of the walled garden, dating to the late 19th or early 20th century and bearing a Mackenzie & Moncur company label inside the glazed panel door to the west. It is constructed on a low brick base with teak framing, pierced cast-iron angle brackets, some original cast-iron guttering, and a wrought-iron finial to the east.

The boiler house, positioned to the north of the walled garden proper, is a single-storey and basement rectangular-plan lean-to structure. Its southern and eastern elevations form part of the boundary wall; the northern and western elevations are brick. A corrugated sheet roof covers the structure, with a brick square-plan stack rising to the north. Original piping and flues survive in the interior.

Boundary walls of coped random rubble enclose the complex to the north and west, with the western boundary marking the line of a former orchard. Additional structures of various dates stand within the enclosed area, including the potting shed, glasshouse and boiler house described above.

A sundial stands centrally within the garden, comprising a fluted stone baluster supporting a hexagonal table dial. The base is dated 1904, while a presentation plaque on the structure is dated 1961.

The southern section of the main walled garden is presently surfaced with Tarmac to accommodate car parking.