Curling House
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Curling House was used to store Curling stones, brushes and other equipment used to maintain a curling pond and play the game of curling in Scotland and elsewhere.
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[edit] Introduction
The houses were often purely functional in character, being relatively small and often located in quite isolated places. Some Curling Houses were built as part of country estates and were much grander in appearance. A fireplace was sometimes present and thus ensured some welcome heat for players, night watchmen, etc.[1]
[edit] Purpose
Curling stones are heavy objects and in the days of horse transport and poor quality roads it would be easier to store stones at the site of the curling pond, additionally the ponds needed a certain degree of maintenance to the water supply, dam, weed control, etc. Tools could be stored in the house and sometimes a watchman was employed during the season to make sure that all was well with the pond, its ice and the curling equipment.
[edit] Scottish Curling House gallery
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[edit] Decline
Easier transport, establishment of ice rinks, a warmer climate and other factors have in general resulted in the demise of the Curling House and due to their generally small size, most have been allowed to become ruinous or have been demolished.
[edit] Sites of Curling Houses
- Dollar, Clackmannanshire. One Septimus Leishman made a handsome donation to the club in 1885 to enable a "modern" pond and clubhouse to be built in the town in Murray Place.
- Duddingston Loch, Edinburgh. A rare octagonal curling-house and studio (Duddingston Manse) built for the Duddingston Curling Society & Rev. John Thomson 1823-4. This was designed by the renowned architect William Henry Playfair, for which he evidently provided his services free. The curling-house still stands at the lochside though roofless.[2]
- Eglinton Country Park, Irvine, Ayrshire. The Curling House no longer exists, however it is featured in a contemporary painting (See illustration).
- Fingask Castle, Perthshire. A vernacular example with a chimney on one gable end (See illustration).
- Fochabers, Moray. An ornate Curling house still survives, built with wood, some of it unworked, serving as 'tree trunk' supports to the roof.[3]
- Gosford House, Aberlady. A surviving Curling House here has unusual shell decorations.[4] and is faced with tufa-like stone.[5]
- Partick, Glasgow - The Partick Curling Club was established in 1842 and in 1900 they acquired a long lease on the site in the new Victoria Park where they constructed a clubhouse and ponds.
- Markinch, Fife. A fine stone “curling house” was built in around 1850 with three rooms, the Laird’s room, (the Laird being Mr. Balfour, of Balbirnie House), the west room and the curling stone room. The club moved from the site in 1914.
