Walled Garden, Glenborrodale Castle

Walled Garden, Glenborrodale Castle

This walled garden forms part of the Glenborrodale Castle estate, designed by Sydney Mitchell in 1898. The garden is enclosed by tall grey brick walls with tooled ashlar coping. Access is provided by two entrances, positioned at the north-east and south-east corners. Each entrance features tooled ashlar gate piers topped with ball finials, and is fitted with ornate cast- and wrought-iron gates.

The garden sits within the wider architectural complex of the castle, which comprises a tall asymmetrical Scottish Baronial mansion with varying heights running east-west on a south-facing sloping site. The main building consists of a 5-storey and attic tower at its west end, flanked to the east by a 2-storey and attic 3-bay block. This is linked by a low service wing to a further square tower (Turret House) to the east. All elements are constructed in red bullfaced rubble with tooled or polished ashlar dressings.

The principal entrance is located in a projecting square porch with a segmental headed doorway positioned near the centre of the irregular, gabled north elevation. The south elevation features a raised ground floor that opens onto a balustraded terrace with a curved flight of stairs descending to the garden and further terraces beyond. Ground floor windows are transomed and mullioned tripartites set beneath relieving arches.

A circular drum tower rises the full height of the building at the south-west angle, with a raised ground floor, first and second floor bipartites linked vertically by decorative architraves displaying Jacobean detailing. Between the windows are deep panelled aprons decorated with strapwork, carved roses and thistles, topped by a shaped pediment above the second floor window. The drum tower rises into the third storey as an octagon with engaged Jacobean column detailing at the angles. The wallhead features deep corbelling and crenellation with cannon water spouts. A canted fenestrated south-east angle abuts another drum tower rising to a corbelled square caphouse with crowsteps and end stacks.

Various segmentally pedimented dormers with finials are scattered across the north and south elevations. Glazing throughout is varied, comprising mainly multi-pane windows but with some 2-pane sashes. Corniced stacks, crowsteps and slate roofs complete the exterior.

The Turret House is a roughly square 2-storey tower house linked to the main building, featuring an exaggerated corbelled and crenellated wallhead. Angle square and rounded bartizans are present, along with a stair turret projecting at the north-west, which rises a single stage above the wallhead. A corbelled circular parapet, broken by four square mock turrets, encircles a centre conical stone roof. A canted oriel is positioned in the south front with a steeply pitched polished ashlar facetted roof terminating in a carved thistle finial.

Interior details include ribbed panelling to the main stairwell leading to the principal floor with public rooms, and a carved family crest above the entrance door from the porch. Pedimented door cases and panelled doors remain throughout. Original marble chimney pieces are preserved. A circular staircase rises from the stairhall beneath paired round-headed arches, supported by twin facetted columns with stiff leaf capitals.

The estate stables are single-storey with an attic and follow an H-plan arrangement, with a shallow south-facing court between outer gabled wings linked by a covered passage with a centre gabletted dormer. Construction is bullfaced rubble with tooled ashlar dressings and some timber detailing to the dormers. The south face of the east gable features a tripartite window. Ridge stacks are corniced; crowsteps and slate roofs are present; a ridge ventilator serves the former stable wing. A large modern entrance has been added to the south face of the west gable, leading to the former stables, which now features a loft ceiling with all original fittings removed.

Extensive terracing extends in front of the mansion, with crenellated coping applied to battered rubble retaining walls.