Balbardie House

Balbardie House was a country house in West Lothian, Scotland near to the town of Bathgate. Designed by Robert Adam this great neoclassical mansion was demolished in two stages in 1954 and in 1975. [Scotland on Sunday]

The seat since 1624 of the Marjoribanks family. [The Marjoribanks Journal] The house was constructed at the end of the 18th century and situated within a park of convert|100|acre|km2. [British History Online] One of Adam's final designs, it is doubtful he saw the completed project as the plans are signed and dated 1792 [King, p 153] shortly before his death the house is typical of his neoclassical style the corps de logis having similarities with another of Adam's great houses Kedleston Hall except at Balbardie Adam used in a single small pediment at the centre rather than fully suggesting the Arch of Constantine as he did at Kedleston. Another common Adam feature highly defined, but in an unusual setting at Balbarbie are the recessed apses behind screening columns in the low wings connecting the three bayed pavilions to the corps de logis. [King, p 153] This was a feature Adam often used internally but seldom externally. That Adam was not present during the final stages of drawing and completion of the house is evident by the prominence of the chimneys at Kedleston and elsewhere so carefully disguised, the pitch of the roofs suggests a northern Baroque such as the Nymphenburg (where the chimneys are equally visible). However, these features ar part of the character of the house and should not be seen as detracting from its architectural importance.

The glory of Balbarbie as one of Scotlanh's grandest private houses was to be short lived - barely sixt years, in 1861 it was purchased by the trustees of a hospital, later it was converted into apartments for miners. The house with the exception of one of the pavilions was demolished in 1954, the remaining pavilion was demolished in 1975. The author Ian Gow described the demolition thus: "the dilapidation and staged demolition of Balbardie.....due to a lack of funding, diminished the heritage of the work of one of Scotland's most celebrated architects, Robert Adam". [Gow]

Following the demolition of 1975 the Bathgate Leisure Centre was erected on the site. [The Marjoribanks Journal]

Notes

References

* [http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43422 British History Online] retrieved 25 March 2007
*cite book
last = Gow
first = Ian
year = 2006
title = Scotland's Lost Houses
publisher = Trafalgar Square
location =
id = ISBN 1845130510
*cite book
last = King
first = David
year = 2001
title = The Complete Works of Robert and James Adam
publisher = Architectural Press
location =
id = ISBN 0750644680
* [http://www3.sympatico.ca/mjbnks/JIssue2.html The Marjoribanks Journal] retrieved 25 March 2007
* [http://heritage.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=1396&id=1638152006 Scotland on Sunday, Sun 5 Nov 2006] retrieved 25 March 2007