Calder House | |
---|---|
Location | West Lothian, Scotland, UK |
Coordinates | 55°53′22″N3°29′03″W / 55.8895°N 3.4843°W Coordinates: 55°53′22″N3°29′03″W / 55.8895°N 3.4843°W |
Built | c. 1560 |
Built for | Sir James Sandilands |
Owner | Sandilands family |
Listed Building – Category A | |
Designated | 22 February 1971 |
Reference no. | LB14153 |
Calder House is a historic Scottish country house in Mid Calder, Scotland, the family seat of the Sandilands family since 1348, and deemed to be one of the great Renaissance houses of Scotland. [1]
Calder House is located within the historical barony of Calder, adjacent the Kirk of Calder. Known as Calder Comitis, meaning "Earl's Calder", this covered the lands of Mid and West Calder which were originally possession of the Thanes (Earls) of Fife, the Douglas family. In 1348, upon the marriage of Eleanor Douglas, daughter of Sir Archibald Douglas to Sir James de Sandilands, the entire Barony was granted as a wedding gift to the Sandilands family.
In the 1560s, their descendant Sir James Sandilands was made the First Lord Torphichen by Mary Queen of Scots, commissioning the construction of a stately Mansion House on his lands. As a result, the current form of the house dates principally from this period, as attested by a drawing by Timothy Pont from around 1590. It has remained the family seat of the Sandilands Clan ever since.
Much of the present Calder House dates to the mid-16th century, and is built in a traditional L-plan form, with a main block three-storeys high. The massively thick walls are up to 8 feet (2.4 m), suggesting that this mansion house incorporates the walls of earlier fortalice/castle, and are constructed with random rubble. The end walls are gabled, and the roof is slated.
The north wing is four-storeys high, and was extended in the later 17th century, with further additions made c. 1780, 1820, and in 1880, in the re-entrant angle and on the west side of the wing.
The interior although greatly altered, exhibits three contiguous vaulted chambers in older part of first storey of main block, a drawing room (previously great hall) in the second floor with pine paneling and tall windows, a kitchen, and a fine scale-and-platt stair in wing. [2]
Calder House features a number of Gateways [3] and Gate-lodge buildings scattered around the village, notably on Bank Street [4] and Main Street.
It also incorporates a traditional brick-built 'cup and dome' Icehouse, dug into the North slope of the hill close by the House itself. [5]
The East approach used to include the famous local landmark the "Dry Brig" (Dry Bridge), built around 1806 over Main Street when a new avenue was laid to the Mansion House, and subsequently demolished around 1959. [6]
Lord Torphichen or Baron Torphichen is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created by Queen Mary in 1564 for Sir James Sandilands, with remainder to his heirs and assigns whatsoever.
Neidpath Castle is an L-plan rubble-built tower house, overlooking the River Tweed about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of Peebles in the Borders of Scotland. The castle is both a wedding venue and filming location and can be viewed by appointment.
Blackness Castle is a 15th-century fortress, near the village of Blackness, Scotland, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth.
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Mid Calder is a village in West Lothian, Scotland. It is located on a steep hill overlooking the River Almond and Calder Wood, around 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh. The settlement has been on a major crossroads since its origin some time in the 11th century.
Almondell and Calderwood Country Park is a 220-acre (0.89 km2) Country Park in Mid Calder and East Calder in West Lothian, Scotland. It is a 4 star Visitor Attraction (Visitscotland). The Park is split into two main areas, Almondell Park which comprises the Almondell estate which originally belonged to the Erskine family of Broxburn and the Calderwood estate which once belonged to the Barons of Torphichen.
Torphichen is a historic small village located north of Bathgate in West Lothian, Scotland. The village is approximately 18 miles (29 km) west of Edinburgh, 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Falkirk and 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Linlithgow. The village had a population of 570 in the and a population of 710 in 2016. Torphichen's placename may be Gaelic in origin, e.g., "Tóir Féichín", Tor Fithichean, or Brythonic "tref fechan".
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Clan Sandilands is a Scottish clan. It is also considered a sept of the larger Clan Douglas.
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James Sandilands was a Scottish nobleman. He was the second son of Sir James Sandilands, 7th Lord of Calder. The feudal barony of Calder had belonged to the Sandilands family since 1348.
Aboyne Castle is a 13th-century castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland 0.75 mi (1.21 km) north of the town of Aboyne. The location of Aboyne Castle was selected for its strategic position near the River Dee and controlling the northern end of one of the Mounth crossings. Aboyne Castle was formerly derelict, but was restored by the present Marquess of Huntly in 1979.
Birse Castle is located in the Forest of Birse, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Originally a square tower house, it was rebuilt in the first decade of the 20th century into an L-plan structure. The 1930 addition of a new wing gave it a Z-plan. The building was designated a category B listed building in 1971.
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Bavelaw Castle is a historic house in the City of Edinburgh Council area, Scotland. It is north of Hare Hill in the Pentland Hills, four miles west of Penicuik, and two miles south of Balerno, above Threipmuir Reservoir. It was designated as a Category A listed building in 1971.
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Barra Castle is an unusual L-plan tower house dating from the early 16th century, about two miles south of Oldmeldrum, above the Lochter Burn, in the parish of Bourtie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It occupies the site of the Battle of Inverurie (1308), in which Robert Bruce defeated John Comyn, Earl of Buchan.
The Barony of Bannockburn is a Scottish feudal barony located in the historical county of Stirlingshire.
Kirk of Calder is a medieval church in Mid Calder, West Lothian. It is listed as a Category A building by Historic Environment Scotland. The church is of Ashlar stone in a Gothic style. The present Kirk dates from 1541 but was built on the site of an earlier 12th century church.
Illieston House, also known as Illieston Castle, is a castle located in West Lothian, Scotland, by the River Almond near Broxburn.