Glenlair

NX77SE 44.00 75884 72186

NX77SE 44.01 NX 75982 72304 Steading

Glennlair was first planned by Walter Newall in 1826 with and for John Clerk Maxwell (designs represented in the Dumfries Archive Centre). In 1868 James Clerk Maxwell enlisted James Barbour. In 1884 Kinnear and Peddie drew up plans for another addition for Maxwell's heir Andrew Wedderburn-Maxwell.

(Information from Jordi Cat, Indiana University, 19 August 2005)

NMRS REFERENCE

Dick Peddie and MacKay, Edinburgh

Bin 9, Bag 1 'For Nether Corsock House John Clerk Maxwell Esq of Middlebee 1830.' Nr Newall Dumfries Oct. 1830

Bin 9, Bag 1 Additions and Alterations Kinnear and Peddie 1884

Substantial 19th century, irregular-plan, multi-gabled, country house, now largely ruinous comprising roofless 2-storey, 2-bay, double-pile, central block by Walter Newall; derelict, partially-roofed, Baronial style, 2-storey wing to W (left) by James Barbour with stone-mullioned windows, 2-storey canted window to front gable and gabled porch to side; single- and 2-storey, T-plan, former service wing, largely by Peddie and Kinnear to E (right) with corbelled chimney stacks, renovated to habitable condition 1992-3. Squared, snecked whinstone rubble with polished red sandstone ashlar dressings. Eaves course and raised window margins to 1830 section; long and short quoins to later sections.

Glenlair is of particular interest as being the home of the pioneering 19th century physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, for whom the wing by James Barbour was built. Some of Maxwell's most important work is believed to have been carried out here and it is also believed that he designed of the tiled floor in the lobby; the tiles themselves are made by Minton. Glenlair is occasionally also known as Nether Corsock. It is a substantial country house (now largely ruinous), combining the work of well-regarded local architects, Walter Newall and James Barbour and the renowned Edinburgh-based firm, Peddie and Kinnear.

Glenlair House was built for Maxwell's father in 1830 by Walter Newall, the principal architect working in Dumfriesshire in the first half of the 19th century. Newall's house was a plain double-pile, M-gabled building with gabled dormers at first floor level. This part of the building now stands ruinous and the gable heads have been removed. In 1865 Maxwell retired to the Glenlair estate and it is here that he is believed to have carried out his ground-breaking work on electricity and magnetism. His study seems to have been located in the SE ground floor room of Newall's wing, though there is nothing left in the surviving fabric to evidence this. He commissioned James Barbour, who had effectively taken over Newall's practice, to build the large wing to the W of the original house. This part of the building is in a derelict condition, though still partially roofed. In the 1880s Peddie and Kinnear added the service wing, extended the W wing to the N and made alterations to the 1830 building. In 1929 the house was largely gutted by fire and abandoned. (Historic Scotland)