Basic Site Details Name: | Wallace Monument | Town, district or village: | Abbey Craig | City or county: | Stirlingshire | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | 76 entrants in competition. Cost £18,000 to build. Inaugurated 11 September 1869.
The Wallace Monument. - On Monday, the anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn, the Duke of Athole, Most Worshipful Grand Master Mason of Scotland, laid the foundation-stone of the Wallace Monument, his grace being accompanied by various civic and volunteer bodies in procession. Subscriptions have been sought and obtained in almost every quarter of the globe and now the fund amounts, after deducting expenses, to £5,500. The cost of the monument is estimated at £7,000, leaving a deficiency of £1 ,500. The design for the monument is from the pencil of Mr. J. T. Rochead, of Glasgow. [Building News 28 June 1861 p556]
The foundation stone of the monument was laid on June 24 1861 by the Duke of Athole. ... Building operations were occasionally suspended for lack of funds but at length the needful amount having been forthcoming, the monument has been completed. The entire cost of the structure has somewhat exceeded £12,000. The design for the monument is from the pencil of Mr J T Rochead, architect, Glasgow. It consists of a Scottish baronial tower 220 feet high and 36 feet square. The walls are massive, being 15 feet thicj at the base and graduating from 5 feet to 6 feet at the top. At the east end of the tower is a house for the keeper. An open courtyard entered by a massive circular arched gateway having bold mouldings separates the main building from the keeper’s dwelling. Above the gateway are the heraldic arms of Scotland. Passing through the gateway into a stone arched passage, a series of steps leads to an open octagonal winding staircase projecting from the south-west angle of the tower and running up nearly its entire height. Arrow-let slits or lights pierce the walls of the staircase at intervals, almost to the summit of the square tower; and imitation rope-work, with moulded angles, bind the walls externally. The staircase forms the approach to several spacious and lofty halls, designed for the display of armour and other antiquarian relics, illustrative of the early national history. An imperial crown forms the apex of the monument. This coronial topis upwards of 50 feet high and is built of pure white sandstone. It comprises eight arms, from the angles and sides, all converging on the centre, and forming a series of flying buttresses, broadly ribbed, having the spandrels filled with open tracery. Crocketed pinnacles surmount the outer flanks of the buttresses, and some very effective skylines are obtained by the openings of the crown. [The Architect 11 September 1869 page 128] | Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Commemorative monument | | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1859 | | Competition held | | | 1859 | 1869 | | | | 24 June 1861 | | | Foundation stone laid | | 1862 | | Competition design | Competition design by Haig & Low | | September 1869 | | | Completed |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionThe following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column. | | Name | Role | Partnership Group | From | To | Notes | | John Thomas Rochead | | | 1859 | 1969 | Won in competition | | David Paton Low | | A | 1859 | | Competition design - placed third | | Haig & Low | | A | 1859 | | Competition design - placed third | | John Haig | | A | 1859 | | Competition design - placed third | | Charles George Hood Kinnear | | B | 1859 | | Competition design - placed second | | John Dick Peddie | | B | 1859 | | Competition design - placed second | | Peddie & Kinnear | | B | 1859 | | Competition design - placed second |
ClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | National Monument Committee | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts | 1862 | | | | 620 (Haig & Low) | | Harper, Roger H | 1983 | Victorian Architectural Competitions: An Index to British and Irish Architectural Competitions… | | London: Mansell Publishing | | | RSA | 1860 | | | | 580 (Rochead's design) | | RSA | 1861 | | | | 691 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architect | 11 September 1869 | | | p128 and illustration | | Builder | 17 September 1859 | XVII | | pp623 & 816 | | Building News | 9 December 1859 | | | | | Building News | 2 March 1860 | | | | | Building News | 28 June 1861 | | | p556 - foundation stone |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 41118 | | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Dick Peddie and McKay Collection | | DPM 1860/130/1 | | Smith Institute, Stirling | Wallace Monument Archive | | Drawings, minute books and other relevant papers. Other archives held at the monument itself. |
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