Balquhatstone House and West Lodge Slamannan Stirlingshire
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BALQUHATSTONE HOUSE AND WEST LODGE SLAMANNAN STIRLINGSHIRE BALQUHATSTONE HOUSE AND WEST LODGE SLAMANNAN, STIRLINGSHIRE A charming, period country house set in the most enchanting and secluded private grounds. The policies at Balquhatstone House extend to approximately 16.3 acres and befit a property of its stature, with traditional gate lodge and walled kitchen garden. Accommodation Summary Balquhatstone House (Lot 1) Ground Floor: Reception Hall, Drawing Room, Morning Room, Dining Room, Study, Kitchen/ Breakfast Room, Pantry, Vase Store, Laundry, two Bathrooms, Cook’s Bedroom, former Maid’s Room and Store Room. First Floor: Landing, Master Bedroom with Dressing Room, four further Double Bedrooms,one with en-suite Bathroom and separate WC, Family Bathroom and Bedroom 6/Nursery. Billiard Room with adjoining Hobby Room and WC. Second Floor: Double Bedroom, Box Room and Attic Room. Exterior: Balquhatstone House stands within approximately 16.3 acres of private grounds, which comprise a well-balanced combination of landscaped gardens, mature woodland and paddock grazings. A pillared entrance with wrought iron gates provides access to the property, beyond which a red gravel driveway, flanked by grass verges, extends towards the house. Sheltered by the surrounding woodland, the gardens which bound the house are granted a genuine sense of privacy and have been landscaped in a traditional manner, with sweeping lawns, banks of rhododendrons and burgeoning herbaceous borders. They also feature an ornamental pond and a former bowling lawn, ideal for croquet and garden sports. Of particular note, a splendid walled kitchen garden lies to the East of the house. It retains former fruit and vegetable beds, a range of plantings including apple, cherry and plum and a stone-built gardener’s bothy. There are two paddocks to either side of the drive, which offer approximately 5 acres of grazing. The paddock to the west of the drive has been landscaped into a chip-and-putt golf hole with a green. The remaining ground is predominantly covered by mature mixed woodland. There is also a small amenity paddock to south east of the house, featuring a meandering burn and a former curling pond. Outbuildings: A traditional coach house, set around a courtyard, is appended to the south west of Balquhatstone House. It offers a flexible and varied array of stone outbuildings, including a double garage, two large sheds, workshops and stores rooms, a traditional wash house and a loft. These could be suitable for conversion to provide ancillary accommodation, subject to acquiring the necessary consents. To the south west, a gated entrance and drive provide a direct approach through the grounds to the coach house courtyard. Within the woodland, there is also a detached double garage/boathouse of timber construction and the remains of a stone cottage. West Lodge (Lot 2) Ground Floor: Entrance Hall, Sitting Room, Kitchen/Breakfast Room, two Double Bedrooms, Family Bathroom. Attic Room above. Exterior: The traditional stone-built gate lodge stands sentry at the main gates into Balquhatstone House and presides over its own private garden, which is predominantly laid to lawn and bordered by mature hedging, specimen shrubs and trees. There is also a parking area to the front of the property. Situation Balquhatstone House stands within mature and verdant grounds, on the outskirts of the village of Slamannan. Despite its rural setting amidst Stirlingshire’s undulating farmland, the location, at the heart of Central Scotland, provides easy access to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling via Scotland’s arterial road and rail network. Slamannan services the community with a range of daily amenities, including two convenience stores, Post Office, chemist, petrol station, Health Centre and Primary School. The town of Falkirk, some seven miles away by road, offers a wider range of facilities and retail opportunities, as well as a rail station with excellent commuter services to Edinburgh (from 21 minutes) and Glasgow (from 18 minutes). The surrounding area offers a diverse range of cultural attractions and leisure pursuits including the celebrated Falkirk Wheel, the iconic Kelpies sculptures, Callendar House and Park and the Avon Heritage Trail along the Union Canal. To the west, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is renowned for its natural beauty and excellent water sports facilities. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow International Airports can be reached within 45 minutes, in reasonable traffic. The cities’ private schools, which are amongst Scotland’s best, are within daily commuting distance. In addition, the internationally renowned Dollar Academy is a twenty six mile drive from Balquhatstone House and has a dedicated school bus service from nearby Falkirk. Falkirk 7 miles (11 km); Stirling 19 miles (31 km); Glasgow 21 miles (34 km); Edinburgh 31 miles (50 km). (All distances are approximate). BALQUHATSTONE HOUSE SLAMANNAN General Description Once the centrepiece of a larger country estate, Balquhatstone House is a distinguished property which balances period refinement with all the warmth and character of a traditional family home. Originally built in the Georgian era, the house shares in the rich history of the wider estate, which has remained within the present owner’s family for five centuries, confirmed in 1513 by James IV of Scotland as seen in a framed Deed hanging in the hall. Proudly positioned within the estate’s stone walls, Balquhatstone House was extended and aggrandised in the 19th Century, with additions including a substantial west wing and a coach house. The surrounding grounds, which are closeted by mature woodland, afford the house a fittingly secluded setting. Within the home, the public rooms reverberate with a sense of grandeur; governed by generous proportions, elegant windows, bespoke carpentry and rarefied period features, including marble fireplaces, press cupboards and intricate cornicing. These rooms are complemented by more informal accommodation, which affords effortless, comfortable family living. Successive generations have respected the house’s heritage and the home has thus retained a collection of profoundly charismatic, traditional rooms; amongst them a vase room and a billiard room with an adjoining hobby room, the latter originally built to house a bird collection. Stone-pillared entrance gates provide access into the grounds of Balquhatstone House, to the side of which a traditional gate lodge (Lot 2: West Lodge) stands sentry. A red gravel driveway, flanked by grass verges, leads through the paddock grazing towards the curtilage of the house, where there is a generous sweep for car parking and turning. The house’s statuesque stone façade is set beneath a slate roof and is defined by bay windows, finials and an elegant portico, sheltering the front door. Internally, there is a spacious reception hall, which has ample room for occasional lounge furniture, as well as a delightful floor-to-ceiling tripartite window, framing a view over the driveway and front lawn. An impressive dappled marble fireplace, inset with a statement wood burning stove, fosters a warm, welcoming atmosphere and the sense of heritage is enriched by handsome pitch pine carpentry, including working shuttering and a wide staircase adorned with decorative newel posts. A sumptuous 18th century addition to the property, the drawing room lies off the hall and showcases a lofty ceiling, embellished with intricate cornicing and an elaborate ceiling rose featuring a thistle motif. The space is ideal for elegant, formal entertaining, as well as larger family gatherings, with oak flooring, a grand marble fireplace and a striking bay window, overlooking the private lawn to the front of the house. The morning room is aptly positioned along the eastern elevation of the property and is double aspect, with a window to the east and a splendid, floor-to-ceiling bay window to the front. It functions as a large and comfortable lounge space, featuring an open fireplace, and is finished with plain cornicing and a press cupboard. Traditional concertina doors partition the morning room from the neighbouring dining room, in a layout which lends itself to sociable family living and entertaining larger parties, when occasion demands. They are currently out of use due to the fitted carpeting, however could be reinstated to working order by an incoming purchaser. BALQUHATSTONE HOUSE SLAMANNAN POTTING SHED BOILER 13'2 x 7'3 HOUSE (4.01m x 2.21m) UP TOMATO HOUSE PLANT HOUSE 24'5 x 11'6 36'3 x 11'11 VINE HOUSE (7.44m x 3.51m) (11.05m x 3.63m) 23' x 14' (7.01m x 4.27m) GREEN HOUSES GROUND FLOOR OUTBUILDINGS GROUND FLOOR GROSS INTERNAL GROSS INTERNAL FLOOR AREA 1284 SQ FT / 119.3 SQ M N FLOOR AREA 1522 SQ FT / 141.4 SQ M BALQUHATSTONE HOUSE NOT TO SCALE - FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY APPROXIMATE GROSS INTERNAL FLOOR AREA 7664 SQ FT / 712.0 SQ M (INCLUDING AREAS OF RESTRICTED HEIGHT) EXTERNAL GARAGE FLOOR AREA 268 SQ FT / 24.9 SQ M UP GREEN HOUSES FLOOR AREA 1284 SQ FT / 119.3 SQ M EXTERNAL OUTBUILDING FLOOR AREA 1522 SQ FT / 141.4 SQ M TRAILER SHED TOTAL COMBINED FLOOR AREA 10738 SQ FT / 997.6 SQ M All measurements and fixtures including doors and windows WORKSHOP MOWER SHED LOG STORE WORKSHOP are approximate and should be independently verified. 16'4 x 9' 16'3 x 9'11 16'2 x 13'5 16'3 x 8'11 Copyright © exposure (4.98m x 2.74m) (4.95m x 3.02m) (4.39m x 4.09m) (4.95m x 2.72m) www.photographyandfloorplans.co.uk STORE 18'3 x 12'3 BEDROOM 6 (5.56m x 3.73m) 24'9 x 15'3 LANDING (7.54m x 4.65m) ATTIC