Stirling

[tobester]

It's only a hop, skip & a jump by train. (cue Tobester)

Heeereeees tobester.

Only been to strilring once, a decent place, worthy of an arranged wander when the weather gets better.

Always remember if youre going in a group try and ask for a groupsave ticket

[mrsam]

I must get myself up to Stirling soon actually - I've some fond memories of cycling through there up to Sheriffmuir, back in the day.

Arrange a wee day out, we could meet up with mrsam and other assorted locals/yokels. I can't get enough of the place. It's only a hop, skip & a jump by train. (cue Tobester)

Im in sounds intersting, let me know when and where!

Mr Sam

Edit - Can do a bit of a tour if people wanted, some intersting buildings architechture, gravestones (tho these are being titivated at the mo, so access may be a prob) and a nice castle, tho, that is partly under repair too, and lastly lots of fine pubs such as the Portcullis, the Settle Inn and the City Walls.....

[John]

You get a nice lunch in the pub beside the castle.

[cumbo]

Great stuff there Horn and great memories of a smashing day oot....Oh them sandwiches !!!

[mrsam]

Oh them sandwiches !!!

Try the Dinners......

[cell]

Took a trip to look at this building and also visited the local library, (the staff were excellent and very helpful, nice wee reference section upstairs and the building inside is itself worth a visit). I was able to confirm it was a power station which was built by the council in 1900 primarily as an electric lighting station. Given its age and the small number of old industrial buildings left in Stirling, I was surprised it is not listed or on the RCAHMS website (at least I can’t find it). I believe it is a rare example of one of the few remaining early power stations in Scotland and it would be great if another use could be found for it. The building itself has lasted reasonably well but a few more years of neglect and it will be too late.

From a 1909 description of the plant its capacity then was 600Kw DC and consisted of 4 Lancashire boilers and 4 generators 2@100HP and 2@ 300HP. It appears to have been extended at some point, evidence of which can be seen from the roofline of the main building where there is two distinct phases, this main building would have been the boiler house. There would have also been a railway siding for coal and a chimney, neither of which can be seen today. There was some reference to a condensing unit tendered for in 1918 but its not clear if this increased the capacity of the station. I was not able to determine exactly when it closed as a generating station but the building itself doesn’t appear to have been obviously expanded further. It was often the case that small municipal concerns could not justify the capital expense of increasing generating capacity and opted to take a bulk supply from one of the large private supply companies which had become established in the early part of the century. There was also reference of the council taking a bulk AC supply from the Bonnybridge power station of the Scottish Central Electric Power Company but that it was not until 1945 that the town began the complete change over to AC. This suggests that its own station was still producing at least up until then. I expect the building itself continued to be used as a store/workshop and the transformers next door testify to the site’s continual usage by the electricity industry for nearly 110yrs.

Yes that is a washing machine stuck to the wall, probably the result of some residual electric magnetic force!

[nodrog]

If you feel strongly about the building, why not propose it for Listing to Historic Scotland ?

The form is here:

http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/lis ... l-form.pdf

They're always interested to hear from people suggesting buildings they may otherwise have missed; fill in the form and send them the same bit of background as you posted above, and some photos, and you never know... the listing team are a nice, enthusiastic bunch of people. Gap74 and I have had a fair bit of success getting interesting buildings that we like listed

You can also suggest buildings to RCAHMS to record; stuff like this that might otherwise go unnoticed is usually very much of interest...

Nodrog

[cell]

It never occured to me to be proactive, thanks Nodrog, thats a great idea, I'll let you know how I get on.

[mrsam]

Took a trip to look at this building and also visited the local library, (the staff were excellent and very helpful, nice wee reference section upstairs and the building inside is itself worth a visit).

Hi, as you seem so intersted in the building, have you tried the coucil archives, in the industrial estate, they may have plans, do you want me to search and if so do we have a name, address for the place.....

Mr Sam

[cell]

Thanks Mr Sam, if you have access that would be great. The main entrance seems to be on Colquhoun St but Nelson Place behind it could have been the access road, if its any use the grid reference is NS 800 928. Name wise I've seen Corporation Electricity Works, Stirling Electricity Works and Stirling Electric Light and Power Works.

I have found out that the iron work inside the building was by Davie who was the local foundry and also did the canopy at Stirling station.

[mrsam]

Thanks Mr Sam, if you have access that would be great....

Will Try but Nothing guarenteed, plans a first target!

I have found out that the iron work inside the building was by Davie who was the local foundry and also did the canopy at Stirling station.

These People




Mr Sam

[cell]

Mr Sam, your stank pictures leads me on nicely to a piece I had put together on the Davie Foundry! It looks like the apprentice mould maker was in charge of letter placing on that second one or they had all been down the pub at lunch time.

The foundry was originally located in Orchard st/Goosecroft rd, which is now under the south west edge of the Thistle centre. It was founded (excuse the pun) in 1885 by John Christie, before being sold in 1887 to Messrs Wylie, Smith And Davie, Davie being a blacksmith, Wylie a millwright and Smith a moulder. While the others retired Davie was joined by his sons John and James. James was to be the future driving force behind the firm. He served apprenticeships with foundries in Glasgow and Hull and Manchester before returning to Stirling in 1873. There James developed the business with his father and brother. When his farther died in 1885 James continued the family business for seventeen years before taking his two sons into the firm in 1902 when the company name became James Davie & Sons.
The company developed a reputation for structural castings, particularly columns, also supplying structural steelwork which was fabricated from Scottish steel supplied by others. Some of their major contracts show the one time importance of this company. Templetons Carpet Factory in Glasgow, Singers Sewing Machine Works in Clydebank, Columns at Carlisle race course, Columns at Greenock Theatre, Weaving Sheds at Glasgow Green and the Scottish Co-operative building at Sheildhall.
Other contracts of interest in the Stirling area include columns and beams for Stirling Arcade, the Stirling electric light station and Stirling Railway Station
Agricultural and engineering work was also undertaken, including a waterwheel cast for the Duke of Montrose at Buchanan. A new foundry was built in Cornton Road between 1940 and 1942. This foundry focused on castings for the war effort. The Goose croft Road Foundry was eventually demolished in 1971 to make way for the Thistle Shopping Centre. Most production in the 1950's and 60's focused on the Cornton Foundry, producing municipal castings (stanks to you and me!) for Stirling and Perth Councils in particular. The company continued to operate for a short while after 1971 in Cornton Road, with the last Mr Davie working with two men for a fortnight moulding, then pouring these over a few days. I’ve included a few more Davie stanks that I’ve come across, no doubt there are plenty more variants out there.
Thanks to the Scottish Iron Work site for background info http://www.scottishironwork.org/index.htm

[mrsam]

Thanks Mr Sam, if you have access that would be great. The main entrance seems to be on Colquhoun St but Nelson Place behind it could have been the access road, if its any use the grid reference is NS 800 928. Name wise I've seen Corporation Electricity Works, Stirling Electricity Works and Stirling Electric Light and Power Works.

I have found out that the iron work inside the building was by Davie who was the local foundry and also did the canopy at Stirling station.

Have Photocopy of original floor layout plan, but we have a small prob.....

The Plan is on 2 sheets of A3 paper, and my scanner is A4. Can photograph 'n' stitch but may be crap, can also send you the photocopies as I've no real need of them (PM me if you want them), can also give you details of the reference number of the originals in the Archives....

Saw references to possible other plans ie later changes but got weyleighed by lack of funding and cinema interests, similarly in with floor plan was elevation plans etc but at 60p per A3 sheet and 2 A3 sheets per plan.... Sorry but there you go.

Suggestions people!

Mr Sam

[cell]

Thanks Mr Sam, can anyone get access to archives? If so can you post the reference as I’d love to have a good nosey at all of them, I’ve still to follow up with the listing that Nodrog suggested and I could include these. They might also have some detail about the equipment that was installed which would be an added bonus.

On an aside have you any info about the old brick building on the east side of the railway line behind the big Ford garage. Its got some unusual features and looks like a grain store?

[mrsam]

Thanks Mr Sam, can anyone get access to archives? If so can you post the reference as I’d love to have a good nosey at all of them, I’ve still to follow up with the listing that Nodrog suggested and I could include these. They might also have some detail about the equipment that was installed which would be an added bonus.

On an aside have you any info about the old brick building on the east side of the railway line behind the big Ford garage. Its got some unusual features and looks like a grain store?

Right The Archives are open to all, on Boromeadow road in springkerse industrial estate. The search room has on the left a bookcase of indexes as part of which is a book of plans (I Forget the name) Ite Elec Station address features as several plans (some as change of use plans?)
however the creation plan is 3/318/1899 called Stirling Town Council Electric Light Station. This plan contains elevation plans and a floor plan (that which I have a Photocopy of if you want). Also a local paper the Stirling Journal has been indexed and might make reference to the above (Tho bugger I didn't think to check) Other papers not indexed.

As To the grain store, No idea but it looks interesting - paralels with the stores out at greenock?

If you want anymore help let me know

Mr Sam