Displaying items by tag: Leighton library
Conservation experts have been working on the distinctive stone feature on Dunblane’s historic Leighton Library building.
You can register to attend an event detailing the story of the renovations so far which is being held in the Cathedral Halls on the 1st June.
Article from Stirling Observer 6 January 2023
The carved tablet, or cartouche, on the A-listed building’s east facade was removed early November.
It is part of a restoration project estimated at around £460,000 at Scotland’s oldest purpose-built library, built in the late 17th century.
Edinburgh-based conservator Graciela Ainsworth – who restored the statue of John Cowane at Stirling’s Cowane’s Hospital – took the cartouche to her workshop in the city to assess its condition to recommend conservation treatment.
The Leighton Library Trust has now applied for listed building consent ‘to repair the cartouche removed from the east elevation and currently in storage and then, following repair, to reinstate the cartouche in the niche on the east elevation’.
It follows consent for its removal which was granted in 2021.
The latest application includes a document from the conservator outlining how she aims to proceed with the work.
It states: “Proposed work to repair the cartouche and reinstate it in the niche on the external east wall of the Leighton Library.
“Carefully remove all ferrous fixings. Lessen the dark impervious sulphation layer. Lessen the cementitious residues, being careful not to disturb any early polychrome. Local consolidation and filling of the fractures on the back.
“Supply and installation of new non ferrous fixings, designed to suit the Cartouche and including sall marble repair at the head.
“Reinstallation of the cartouche into the back of the niche. Removal of previous dark cementitious render at the back of the niche, and application of new lime-based render to finish.”
Phase one of the library building’s restoration focuses on its exterior, including removing cement harling and replacing it with lime harling, replacing the crowsteps on the south end, and ensuring chimneys, the roof and slates are secure, as well as renewing windows.
The second phase will involve the conversion of the ground floor room, known as the Undercroft, into a state-of-the-art exhibition and visitor area.
Fundraising for the restoration project is continuing.
Leighton Library honorary treasurer Chris Onslow said: “It has been many years since this wonderful, old and unique building was restored and the Trustees are keen that by restoring the fabric, the legacy of this treasure will be secured for many generations to come.
“We continue to raise funds for the building works, costing around £350,000, and are planning how to raise funds for phase two which we anticipate will cost around £110,000.”
The Leighton Library collection - whose oldest book dates back to 1504 – has been taken into storage during the restoration of the building.
There are around 4500 books which include first editions like The Edinburgh Edition of Robert Burns poems (1787).
The building and collection is managed by the Leighton Library Trust, which originates in a bequest by Robert Leighton who was Bishop of Dunblane between 1662-1672.
By spring 2021 the building restoration appeal had raised £172,000 with generous grants having been received from, among others, The Pilgrim Trust and the Swire Charitable Trust.
Anyone who wishes to discover more about the library or make a donation can contact the trust at www.leightonlibrary.org.uk.
Donations can be made at www.leightonlibrary.org.uk
Donations can be made at www.leightonlibrary.org.uk
Watch Joe and Mike’s Virtual Tours of Scotland
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An appeal has been launched to carry out £400,000 of restoration work on Dunblane’s historic Leighton Library building
The Grade-A listed building at The Cross, erected in the late 17th century, contains around 4500 books – the oldest dating from 1504 – and includes masterpieces and first editions like The Edinburgh Edition of Robert Burns’ poems (1787), Dr Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language (1755), Thomas Paine’s The Rights of Man (1791), a signed copy of Queen Victoria’s Highland Journal, presented to the Library by Queen Victoria herself, and a first edition of Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. There is also a collection of early maps, including a rare American Atlas from 1775.
Alastair MacDonald of the the Leighton Library Restoration Programme said: “We’re keen to raise the profile of this ‘hidden gem’ library for a number of very special reasons. Whilst the book collection is in very good condition, the building housing it, now some 333 years old, is in pressing need of restoration. “In particular cement-based harling applied some forty years ago is now considered detrimental to the fabric, as it effectively prevents the building from breathing and encourages damp in the walls. “This needs to be removed and a breathable lime-based harling applied. Additionally, several areas of stonework are eroded and need repair. The roof and chimneys need repair. The front of the building has a particularly fine marble cartouche from the late 1600s, which once bore the Bishop’s coat of arms. Specialist advice has been received that this too needs to be removed, the fixings replaced, and the whole thing restored by specialist conservators.”
Originally intended to house the collection of Bishop Robert Leighton, who bequeathed his library to Dunblane in 1684, the collection grew over the 18th and 19th centuries. Opening its doors in 1687, the Library was originally intended for the clergy of Dunblane Cathedral. It later became a subscription library and a reading room until the mid-19th century, when it was effectively closed up until restoration by volunteers in the late 1980s. It is now managed by a small charitable trust and opens to the public in the summer season.
Mr MacDonald added that the trustees have set up an executive group to address the conservation project. He said: “We have an architect on board who is qualified in the conservation of historic buildings.
“We now have a detailed schedule of required works, for which the current cost estimate is around £390,000. It’s a great deal of money to find. Even although the Trust has a small income from donations, and occasionally benefits from legacies, these reserves cannot even begin to meet the cost of the repairs. “We have made applications to various funding bodies for grants, including Historic Environment Scotland, but there still needs to be a considerable local fundraising effort, for up to at least £150,000 preserve this treasure for future generations. It is hoped, if funding can be secured, to start the repairs early in 2022.”
Following discussions with Stirling Council, and taking on board feedback from potential funders, the group is also looking at how to open up the Undercroft, situated on street level, with the Library on the first floor, both as a community and library asset. Mr MacDonald said: “We hope to work with neighbouring historic sites, such as the Museum and the Cathedral, both of whom get a great many more visitors than us, to promote the Library and the wonderful Cross area of Dunblane.”
Neighbouring hotel Old Churches House, part of tourism and hospitality specialists the Fusion Group of Companies has promised to help the Trust develop a viable plan for private tours for both individuals and tourist groups.
Alex McKie of the Fusion Group said: “We are happy to help in any way we can, perhaps giving a more commercial edge to proceedings by advising on how the Trust can best market the Library; how best to publicise the fund raising, and how to effectively price and promote tours.”
Donations can be made at www.leightonlibrary.org.uk
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The Romans in Dunblane
Even before Dunblane was founded in the 7th century it had an exciting history. The Roman army marched through the parish leaving behind the remains of three camps, a signal station, a small fort and traces of the road north. At Ardoch, in Braco, just to the north of Dunblane you can view the massive defences of the best preserved Roman fort in the United Kingdom |
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The Foundation of Dunblane |
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Dunblane CathedralThe Cathedral is built on the site of a much earlier building which may have been constructed as early as the 9th century. The only survival from this earlier building are the first four storeys of the tower. It is Romanesque in style (see its round windows) and probably dates from c 1150 though a case can be made for it being built nearly a century earlier c 1070. It is one of Scotland’s oldest buildings. |
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Today’s Cathedral, one of the six best mediaeval buildings in Scotland, was erected in the 13th century and is well worth a visit. It was constructed on the initiative of Bishop Clement 1232-1258 and completed by Bishop Robert de Prebenda 1258-1284. It was built all in one style and today has a cool beauty all of its own though in its early days as a Catholic Cathedral it was much more ornate with many bejewelled altars and colourful paintings on the walls. | ||
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About 1600 the roof of the nave collapsed and the building became a ruin except for the Chancel which continued to serve as the parish church. This situation was remedied in the early 1890s by a highly successful Restoration funded almost entirely by Janet Wallace of Glassingall and supervised by the distinguished architect Sir Rowand Anderson who restored the building without losing anything of its mediaeval character. Today the Cathedral which is in the care of Historic Scotland is open daily. It is also the home of the congregation of Dunblane Cathedral. |
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A Stroll through the Old Town of Dunblane
It is worth strolling through the Old Town of Dunblane with its pleasing mixture of 18th century, Victorian and contemporary buildings. It is strung along the Old Great North Road from Bridgend, to the High Street, round the Cathedral, up the Braeport and through Ramoyle. Along this road came the armies of William the Conqueror and Edward 1st, “The Hammer of the Scots”, who told his son, later Edward II, to strip the lead off the roof of the Cathedral to help with the siege of Stirling Castle. Back down the road came the followers of Wallace and Bruce to fight at the Battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn. As you wander along the narrow streets of the Old Town there is a lot to see. After crossing the old bridge by the Stirling Arms look under the bridge and you will see the yellow stone work and the single arch of the original bridge built in 1410 by Bishop Finlay Dermoch. |
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As you approach the Cathedral you will see on your left the Leighton Library. It was built in the late 1680s to house the library of Bishop Robert Leighton which he had gifted to Dunblane together with money for the building. He was Bishop of Dunblane from 1661 to 1670 and then Archbishop of Glasgow. The Library is frequently open to the public in the summer months. | ||
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On your right on the corner facing the Cathedral is the Dean’s House some of it dating from the early 17th century and which contains the Dunblane Museum which has recently been handsomely refurbished and modernised with the help of a large grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is open daily from Easter to the end of September. | ||
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Then walk round two sides of the Cathedral and up the Braeport. On your right you will see the old Victorian school, now the Braeport Centre, with its three large classrooms where teachers struggled with classes of up to 90 pupils. During your walk up the hill you will have deduced that the word Braeport means “Gate on the Hill”. In the Middle Ages there was indeed a gate at the top of the hill and one at the old bridge by the Stirling Arms which were shut at night to keep out undesirables. On to Ramoyle, home in the early 19th century to artisans especially weavers, where many of the houses still betray their origins. | ||
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The Battle of Sheriffmuir
Bonnie Prince CharlieOn 11 September 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie spent a night in Dunblane at Balhaldie House on his way south with his Highland army. Balhaldie House is next door to the Library. There he was the guest of Alexander Drummond of Balhaldie who was the Grand Old Man of Jacobitism in Dunblane. He had fought at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, led a bold but unsuccessful attempt in 1715 to seize Edinburgh Castle for the Jacobites and had fought at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. He crowned it all by naming one of his daughters Jacobina! Amazingly he was never arrested by the Government or had his estate confiscated. |
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Six months later the Duke of Cumberland spent a night in Dunblane while pursuing the Prince and his army which was in retreat. As the Duke was riding past the Leighton Library the next morning a servant girl from Balhaldie House, who had taken a fancy to the Prince, threw a pail of boiling oil over the Duke from the upper window of a house. He was thrown from his horse but not otherwise hurt. She was not caught probably escaping up the Minnie Burn which runs underground through the centre of Dunblane. If you walk up to St Blane’s Church on your left down a passage way between the houses you will be able to hear and see the Minnie Burn running beneath you.Robert Tannahill and Jessie 'the Flower of Dunblane'One of Scotland's finest love songs is undoubtedly "Jessie, the Flower o' Dunblane". The words were composed by the famous weaver-poet, Robert Tannahill. On Tannahill's untimely death in 1810 at the age of 36, a search began to identify the girl immortalised in the poem. Although there were many contenders, it is believed that the real 'Jessie' was Jenny Tennant. Born in Braeport and then moving to work as a weaver in Paisley, Jessie/Jenny had in fact been Tannahill's sweetheart and muse for some three years, yet the poet believed she had been unfaithful. Tannahill then composed another poem to Jessie, this time entitled 'Farewell'. Read more |
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Jane Stirling and Chopin Jane Wilhelmina Stirling of Kippendavie (1804 – 1859) has been recognised for supporting Frédéric Chopin in the last years of his life, when he was reportedly bankrupt and terminally ill, and in preserving his legacy. Her involvement with her teacher and friend did not end with the death of the composer. It continued after 1849, clearly indicating how genuine and sincere her loyalty and commitment to Frédéric Chopin had been. Jane helped to organise and finance the transportation of Chopin's heart from Paris to Warsaw. She also purchased many Chopin-related artefacts and handed them over to his family, including his piano, exhibited now in the Frédéric Chopin Museum in Warsaw. Go to Jane Stirling Festival website |
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Dunblane - a Victorian Spa and Mill TownIn 1813 a spring was discovered on the Cromlix estate three miles north of the town which the experts believed would improve the health of those drinking the water. Eventually after the Hydro was opened in 1878, and it had acquired the rights, the water it was distributed at the lodge at the bottom of the drive leading up to the hotel. The town itself also had much to offer. There were romantic walks up and down the River Allan (there still are), there was a ruined Cathedral to visit (even better when it was restored) and there was fishing, shooting and eventually golf and bowling. As a result a large number of villas were built in Dunblane mainly to serve as accommodation for visitors. All this was capped by the magnificent Hydro hotel which still dominates the town. At the start it had various types of “medicinal baths”, its mineral water and numerous activities designed to help the sick and calm the nerves of the “Worried Well”. |
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But similar to many towns in Central Scotland Dunblane was also a mill town. In the centre of the town beside the river was the Springbank Mill, now housing, which spun wool much of it used for weaving carpets. Upstream at Ashfield was Pullars Dyeing Works with its model village built to house the workers. The factory is derelict but the village is still worth visiting. A mile further upstream there was a much older mill at Kinbuck. Add to this the paper mills lower down the Allan Water and Dunblane was a significant industrial centre. |
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Modern DunblaneFrom 1760 to 1960 Dunblane’s population hovered around 3,000 people. Since then it has grown steadily with the Argyle, Newton and Barbush estates so that the population has nearly tripled. Tragically Dunblane’s quiet and dignified reserve was shattered for ever by the murder of a Teacher and 16 Primary One pupils on 13 March 1996. There are several memorials to those who were killed. A stone designed by Richard Kindersley is in the Cathedral, stained glass windows at St Blanes and the Church of the Holy Family, etched windows at the Dunblane Centre, a small garden at the Four Ways Roundabout and a beautiful fountain at Dunblane cemetery. If you wish to read more about this tragic event, please click here. |
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James Huffam VCIn August 1918, towards the end of the First World War, James Huffam from Dunblane undertook, what are considered to be, herioc acts on the field of battle. There is a memorial to James Huffam by Stirling's railway station. References: VConline; Wikipedia; Stirling Observer 13 September 2017 |
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Dunblane's Andy and Jamie MurrayOn 5 August 2012 Andy Murray electrified Dunblane, where he grew up, by winning a gold medal at the Olympics and then following it up on 9 September by victory in the US Open, the first Grand Slam title won by a British player since Fred Perry in 1936. Dunblane now has its own gold post box in the High Street which has been visited by thousands of people since the Olympics. On 7th July 2013, the town and nation proudly witnessed Andy making history again by winning the Wimbledon men's final in 3 straight sets against the then world number 1 player Novak Djokovic. In November 2015 Andy and brother Jamie helped GB win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years. In 2016 Jamie Murray became the world's top ranked mens doubles player following grand slam successes at the Australian and US Opens with partner Bruno Suares. Not to be outdone, Andy won Wimbledon again and also the gold medal at the Rio Olympics, followed by a run of ATP tour wins taking him to number 1 mens singles player in the ATP rankings on 7th November 2016. To top off a spectacular season and year, Andy was awarded a knighthood in the 2017 New Year Honours list. |
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Further Information
For Further Information about the History of Dunblane you can consult the following
- Alexander B Barty, The History of Dunblane, Eneas Mackay, Stirling, 1944
- Bill Inglis, Dunblane From the Stone Age to Mary Queen of Scots, Jamieson and Munro, Stirling, 2011
- Bill Inglis, A Scottish Town : Dunblane from 1560 to 1919, John Jamieson Munro Trust, Stirling, 2016
- Bill Inglis, The Battle of Sheriffmuir Based on Eye Witness Accounts, Stirling Council Libraries, 2005.
- David Tate, The Dunblane Hydro, Dunblane 2005
- The In Dunblane leaflet
The Leighton Library, the oldest purpose-built library in Scotland, was founded on the collection of Robert Leighton, Bishop of Dunblane, 1661-1670, later Archbishop of Glasgow, 1670-1674. In his will, Leighton left a sum of money for the building of the library for use by the clergy of Dunblane diocese. The library is situated close by Dunblane Cathedral, part of which dates from 1240. The library was built in part from fallen stone from the nearby ruined Bishop's Palace.