House of Falkland

Building details
Name	House of Falkland
Address	Falkland Estate
Postcode	KY15 7AE
Other names	Falkland House
Date	1839
OS grid ref	NO242074
Latitude & longitude	56°15'11"N 3°13'27"W
Listing	Category A
Listing reference	LB8763
Listing name	House of Falkland Estate, House of Falkland, Including Terraces and Fountains

The Hiose if Falkland is a major country house to the west of theBurgh of Falkland, now used as a school.

Listing description

William Burn, 1839-44. 2-storey, 6- x 7- bay, L-plan, balustraded and crowstep-gabled Jacobean manor house with attached single-storey and attic servants' courtyard to NW (currently school, 2011). Sandstone ashlar with buckle quoins. Base course, band course, cornice. Bi- and tri-partite window openings with stone mullions and transoms. Some narrow slit windows. Moulded architraves; some windows with strapwork window heads and aprons. Square corner turrets with finialled ogee roofs. Tall chimneys with barley sugar decorative shafts.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: asymmetrical, with advanced 7-bay former servants' courtyard to right. Recessed 6-bay entrance elevation with advanced, single-storey, flat-roofed porch and additional projecting Ionic-columned porch with 2-leaf timber door and part-glazed internal door. Decorative strapwork pediment above. Polygonal stair tower in re-entrant angle. Elevation to E with strapwork pedimented upper storey windows breaking wallhead.

S ELEVATION: symmetrical. 6 bays with pair of blocked segmental-arched openings to centre at ground; flanking canted bay-windows and blank outer bays.

E ELEVATION: symmetrical. 5 bays, with canted bay windows to outer bays.

W ELEVATION: asymmetrical. 7-bay former house to right with advanced and recessed bays. Advanced single-storey wing to left. Balustraded steps lead to off-centre, part-glazed 2-leaf timber door; bowed 4-light bay to ground at left. Canted bay to far right.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows with leaded panes. Grey slates. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: (partially seen 2010): predominantly R W Schultz, 1890-1900 with some original 1840s decoration intact. Outstanding, multi-period decorative scheme with prominent Jacobean entrance hall and suite of public and private rooms in various styles. Original room lay out mostly intact with former public rooms to ground and private accommodation to upper storey; some later 20th century alteration to accommodate school. Panelled timber doors throughout. Entrance hall with decoratively carved Jacobean stone fire surround; compartmented ceiling with central dome supported by Corinthian columns. Stair to part glazed Jacobean timber screen leads to main corridor. Corridor with decorative plaster ceiling and oak panelling; timber dog-leg stair to upper floor with large, heraldic, stained glass stair window and painted tunnel-vaulted ceiling depicting the Eight Winds of Greek mythology. Number of rooms with elaborately carved plaster ceilings with pendants and decorative fire surrounds in variety of styles including one with Ionic columned canopy with overmantel. Timber panelling with inlaid mother-of-pearl designs to number of rooms, including former chapel. Some rooms with painted friezes; some with floral designs and one depicting Corpus Christi procession. Former public rooms to ground; library with timber bookcases and shell niches; painted frieze. Former boudoir at ground with full-height Mannerist style stucco plaster work with round-arched mirrors and decorative terms with fruit.

Upper corridor with timber panelling and coloured plaster relief above and to ceiling, depicting birds, fruit and leaves; 3 glass cupolas to ceiling with coloured glass inserted. Former private sitting room with life-size plaster relief seagull adorning walls.

TERRACES: stepped terraces to W. Stone steps with pierced balustrade and square-plan coped piers.

FOUNTAINS: to E and W. Pair of ornate, stone fountains with central urns and shallow quatrefoil basins. Tall central decorative urn and central spout to that at W. Square-plan plinth with lion head spouts and basins, surmounted by large urn with water spout to that at E.

Gallery

[Click on a picture to see the image full-size]

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  View of the entrance