Park House, Mull

A study of the Langlands Estate map of 1819 revealed this township in Holdings C & D.

The remains of the houses in Park House garden were identified and recorded.

Interviews with the present owners of Park House contributed its history.

The remainder of the structures, enclosures etc associated with this township were gradually recorded, measured and photographed.

Documentary evidence was found of Brolas School, (names of teachers and Inspector's report)

Pennyghael in the Past Historical Archive Survey No.KLN 3.

The buildings of this township were associated with holdings C and D on Langlands Estate Map of 1819. They are mainly concentrated around the stone dyke which was still dividing them at that time. By the 1820s, a school house and croft for the schoolmaster of Brolas had been created across the line of this division, taking into its walled area at least three of the existing cottages. It may be assumed that they were empty by then, though little if any of the stone was removed to build the new house or the considerable dyke surrounding the property.

In the SSPCK report of 1824 on Brolas school, it is stated that,

'The house and school house consisting of one large building of two storeys is in good repair, but not yet thoroughly finished with slates. The arable land set aside for the garden and Cow’s grass is less than one acre, but the teacher’s cow is allowed to feed with those of the tenantry on the common.' (Patrick Butter’s Journal for the SSPCK. NAS.)

What later became known as Pennyghael Public School was opened in 1878 so that Brolas school was no longer needed. It became derelict and two acres of the school croft land was sold in 1964. The remains of the schoolhouse were demolished and a new house, Park House, was built on the site.

3.03 Park House NM 42 NE 24.

Two acres of the school croft with the derelict building were sold in 1964. The house was demolished and the present two-storey dwelling, designed to look similar to the original building, was constructed in 1966.

3.04 Township centred on NM 487 253

The remains of three dry-stone dwellings, previously in both Holdings C & D, lie in the present garden of Park House at NM 48727 25348; NM 48701 25300; NM 48669 25287. All three measure approx. 8m x 4m, the walls standing at most to a height of 0.4m, but they are so buried under bracken, brambles and other vegetation that it is difficult to ascertain other details. A fourth ruin, at NM48659 25284, has been bisected by the present fence between the Park House ground and the remainder of the old school croft. It too is almost completely hidden by vegetation. These four buildings are all that can be identified of the cluster of six buildings represented on the 1819 estate map. However, it could be that if this site were ever to be cleared, the footings of the others would re-appear.

3.05 Structure NM 48712 25389

A few turf-covered footings are all that remain of a structure, now cut into by the construction of the approach drive to Park House. This structure appears on the 1819 estate map as facing NW and lying within cultivated land.

3.06 Structure, enclosures and dyke NM 48772 25351

Aligned N to S, only three sides of the structure at NM 48772 25351 are now visible, the dimensions being roughly 7.7m x 4.3m, over walls of indeterminate thickness. A sub-rectangular enclosure (NM 48753 25352) lies at the NW corner of the above structure, appearing as a slightly raised and flattened area, bounded by banking. The vegetation is of better quality than the surrounding coarse grass.

Two metres to the E of the structure is another sub-rectangular enclosure (NM 48784 25333) measuring 30m x 7m, its perimeter delineated by large boulders appearing through the turf banking. The 10m at the E end of this enclosure are heavily infested by bracken and may have been a separate section.

Both of these enclosures are shown on the 1819 estate map and the 1881 OS 1st edition map. On the OS 1:25 000 Explorer map 373 of 2002 the only feature marked is the remainder of the dyke forming the E-W boundaries of the old enclosures. It can still be followed as it continues in a WSW direction, turning SE to stop at the foot of a rock outcrop.

3.07 Building NM48707 25280

The remains of this drystone building abut an old stone dyke starting from the School Croft dyke and running NW-SE for approx. 300 m, where it meets another later stone dyke. This appears to follow the same line as the older dividing wall between Holdings C & D. The building is separated from the School Croft by the line of a former road. A symbol on the OS 1st edition map of 1881 may represent this feature. The building measures 6.7m x 3.6m and the walls are now less than knee-high. There is good deal of tumble which obscures other details.

3.08 Enclosure / platform NM 48720 25314

Near the NE corner of the SE wall of Park House are the sub-oval remains of an enclosure marked on the OS 1:25 000 Explorer map 373 of 2002. It measures 14m x 10m and appears to be a raised, flattish platform with no visible enclosing dyke. It is now thickly covered in vegetation.

3.10 Structure and Field system. NM 48766 24896

Remains of this small structure lie in the lea of a SE-facing rocky outcrop and on the edge of one of the enclosed fields still visible in this part of the farm. It is roughly oval in shape, approx. 4.4m x 3.3m, with only one course of stone remaining. A modern forestry track now cuts through this area, but remains of the old stone and turf dykes shown on the 1819 Estate map are still visible. Short lengths of these are shown on the OS 1:25 000 Explorer map 373 of 2002. The structure itself does not appear on any map.