Brucefield House facts for kids

Brucefield House is an old country home in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It was built a long time ago, in the 1700s. You can find it about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) east of Clackmannan. A man named Alexander Bruce, from Kennet, mostly built it in 1724. The house was fixed up in the early 1900s. Today, it's a very important building, protected as a Category A listed building. This means it's a special historical place.

History of Brucefield House

Who Built Brucefield House?

Brucefield House was mostly built in 1724 by Alexander Bruce. He was a soldier who lived from 1685 to 1747. Alexander Bruce fought in battles in a place called Flanders. This was during a big war known as the War of the Spanish Succession. He also fought for the government during the Jacobite rising of 1715. This was a time when some people in Scotland tried to put a different king on the throne.

In 1714, Alexander Bruce married Mary Balfour. She was the daughter of Robert Balfour, who was the 4th Lord Balfour of Burleigh. Ten years later, in 1724, Alexander Bruce built or greatly changed Brucefield House.

What Was Brucefield Like?

A writer named John Ramsay of Ochtertyre once described the house's location. He said it was "upon the top of a moor without a tree." This means it was on a high, open area with no trees around it.

Who Lived Here Next?

After Alexander, his son Robert (1718–1785) owned Brucefield House. Robert became a judge, known as a Lord of Session. His title was Lord Kennet. Around 1758, Robert sold Brucefield House. He sold it to George Abercromby of Tullibody. Robert had married George Abercromby's daughter in 1754. George Abercromby's son was Sir Ralph Abercromby (1734–1801). Sir Ralph was a famous soldier during the Napoleonic Wars.

Restoring the House

In the 1930s, Brucefield House was restored. This means it was fixed up and made new again. An architect named James Shearer did the work for the Bruce family. Today, the house is home to the current Lady Balfour of Burleigh. She is a descendant of the 4th Lord Balfour of Burleigh, through the Bruce family of Kennet.

How Brucefield House Was Built

The Design of the House

Brucefield House has a main building in the middle. This part is three stories tall. It also has a three-story section, called a pavilion, on the north side. On the south side, there is a two-story pavilion.

Different Ideas About Its Age

People have different ideas about how the house was built over time.

• One idea, from Adam Swan, is that the 18th-century house was built over an older building. This older building was a hunting lodge from the 1400s. It was called Hartshaw. A stone spiral staircase in the north pavilion might be from this older lodge. According to this idea, Alexander Bruce updated the old building. He also added the south pavilion.
• Another idea comes from the Stirling and Central Scotland book series. This book suggests that the main part of the house was completely new in 1724. It also thinks the south pavilion was added around 1760. The north pavilion, it suggests, was built in the early 1800s.

Special Features of the House

The original main door was on the east side of the house. Now, a window is in its place. The entrance you use today is on the west side, through a porch added in the 1800s.

Above the porch, there is a carved stone panel. It shows the family symbols of Alexander Bruce and Mary Balfour. This panel was moved to another Bruce family home in 1760. But it was brought back to Brucefield House during the 1930s restorations. Most of the rooms inside were also updated at that time. However, some old fireplaces from the 1700s are still there.

Gardens and Other Buildings

To the south of the house, there is a walled garden from the 1700s. To the north is Brucefield Mains. This building used to be the stables for the horses. It was built in the early 1700s and was turned into a home in 2009. The stables have a special central tower. This tower contains a doocot, which is a house for pigeons.