Castlemilk Stables
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Summary
Built around 1790, Castlemilk Stables formed a grand late Georgian quadrangle at the heart of the Castlemilk Estate. Commissioned by the Stuart family as a visible symbol of their wealth and status, the Category B-Listed stables lay derelict for almost 20 years before GBPT and the Cassiltoun Trust brought it back to life as a mixed use amenity for the local community. Completion Date: 2007
Project Cost: £4.1 million Building End User: Cassiltoun Trust |
History
The Stables are among the few remaining structures from the original Castlemilk House estate and are thought to have been designed by David Hamilton, one of Glasgow’s most prominent early architects. Later in his career, Hamilton also designed notable buildings such as Hutcheson’s Hall and the Royal Exchange on Queen Street, which now houses the Gallery of Modern Art. Though the Castlemilk estate was sold to Glasgow Corporation before the death of the last Stuart laird in 1938, the house itself served various wartime and post-war community roles before being demolished in 1969. By the 1990s, the stable block stood empty and fire-damaged, eventually listed on the Buildings at Risk Register in 1996. In response, the local community and the Cassiltoun Trust housing association launched a determined 10-year campaign to save the building. A feasibility study led to a sustainable plan: converting the space into offices for the local housing association, with additional rentable offices generating income for community initiatives.
The Stables are among the few remaining structures from the original Castlemilk House estate and are thought to have been designed by David Hamilton, one of Glasgow’s most prominent early architects. Later in his career, Hamilton also designed notable buildings such as Hutcheson’s Hall and the Royal Exchange on Queen Street, which now houses the Gallery of Modern Art. Though the Castlemilk estate was sold to Glasgow Corporation before the death of the last Stuart laird in 1938, the house itself served various wartime and post-war community roles before being demolished in 1969. By the 1990s, the stable block stood empty and fire-damaged, eventually listed on the Buildings at Risk Register in 1996. In response, the local community and the Cassiltoun Trust housing association launched a determined 10-year campaign to save the building. A feasibility study led to a sustainable plan: converting the space into offices for the local housing association, with additional rentable offices generating income for community initiatives.
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The Project
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust took on the challenge in 2005, purchasing the building, assembling the design team, and securing over £4 million in funding from 26 different sources. Elder and Cannon Architects delivered a sensitive yet transformative design, restoring the original exterior while adding a contemporary glass and steel cloister and inner foyer. This new intervention preserved the building's historic character while allowing for its modern reuse as a vibrant, multi-functional community and office space. The building re-opened in 2007 is now home to The Cassiltoun Trust housing association, a children's nursery and a suite of community spaces, including the magnificent walled garden. “We are proud that the community own this building, we campaigned to have it saved and now we will cherish it as a piece of all our history, local and national. It’s future use will always serve local people, and we have aspirations to continue to expand its uses to be a delightful place to work, learn and play”.
Anna Stuart, Chair of Cassiltoun Trust |
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