Bannockburn House

Bannockburn House

Bannockburn House was built around 1675 and likely incorporates fabric from a slightly earlier house on the site. Much of the surviving interior scheme dates to the late 17th century, though some internal work may date to the early 18th century. Substantial alterations and extensions were carried out by Waller and Sons around 1884. The house forms part of a small country estate landscape, about one kilometre south of the town of Bannockburn.

The 17th century core is a symmetrical H-plan building of three storeys and a basement. The central block runs east to west with five bays of symmetrically arranged windows, flanked by smaller wings with crowstepped gables. An advanced central porch was added in 1884, replacing an earlier pedimented and columned doorpiece. The second floor windows have pedimented dormers with carved strapwork detailing. There is a blank panel recess above the central first floor window. The building has a later cement render.

Adjoining the west elevation is a gabled, two-storey office range running north to south, probably added during the 18th century. Further additions cluster around a small rectangular courtyard to the west, dating from around 1884. Also added around this time are a garden door and canted window projecting from the ground floor of the east wing, and a substantial two-storey wing to the south (rear) elevation. This flat roof addition is of squared and snecked ashlar sandstone with tripartite windows and a castellated parapet.

The windows are timber sash and case. Ground and first floor windows have plate glass glazing, while second floor windows have a 12-pane glazing pattern. The chimney stacks have moulded copes and clay cans, and the rainwater goods are cast iron.

The interior retains much of its late 17th century decorative scheme. The large double-height, galleried entrance hall features an exceptionally ornate plasterwork ceiling with an oval compartment in the centre. The second floor contains bedrooms and a large central room with fireplaces at each end, all accessed from a corridor running along the north side. The wings of the H-plan have a mirrored arrangement of rooms, each with a dog-leg staircase. A first floor room in the east wing has an elaborate plasterwork ceiling with a central quatrefoil and enriched borders and panels depicting fruit, vines and flower vases. Other rooms throughout the earlier core retain late 17th century panelling, bolection-moulded fireplaces, low-relief plaster friezes with a repeating pattern of vases, foliage, fruit and figures, and moulded plaster cornicing.

Much of the interior fittings from the 1884 remodelling also survive, including a timber stair and gallery with moulded bannisters, fire surrounds with mosaic tile and marble insets, fitted cupboards and a good selection of 19th century sanitary ware.

A significant proportion of the roof timbers are thought to be of late 17th or early 18th century date. Roman numerals are incised on the cross beams, and there is evidence of early wooden slate-pegging along the timber battens. Access to the roof space is via a turnpike stair. A range of cellars is entered from a stepped corridor to the west side of the building. A barrel-vaulted cellar occupies the west wing. Some cellar doorways have chamfered stone surrounds.

Low rubble walls with rounded coping stones line either side of the approach drive. To the east of the house are garden walls arranged in a rectangular plan. These elements form part of the 18th century formal layout of the garden grounds.