Memorial Park, Bridge of Allan (also known as Pullar Park)

Size, Location and Setting

Memorial Park is 1.2 hectares in size and is located inside the Conservation Area within the town of Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire.

Bridge of Allan is situated some 3 miles north of Stirling and has a population around 5,100 (2008 figures).

Bridge of Allan is described in Stirling Council's Conservation Area Statement as a small suburban town on the Allan Water located to the west of the Ochil Hills. The town developed on the site of earlier mining settlements and later as a Spa resort in the Victorian era. The town grew around the main street, Henderson Street, formerly MacFarlane Street, the historic road which linked Bridge of Allan with Stirling and Dunblane. The broad thoroughfare of Henderson Street divides Bridge of Allan into the Lower and Upper Towns. The Upper Town was laid out at the edge of Mine Woods, and is an excellent example of Victorian development of large detached villas, set within extensive grounds along elegant promenades. The Lower Town represents an equally pleasing later mid-20th century detached housing development.

The Bridge of Allan Conservation Area comprises a significant area of the townscape, which includes Memorial Park on its south-east boundary.

Layout

A plan of the original park layout, as conceived by Mr. Lunt, head gardener at nearby Keir Gardens was not uncovered during the study. However, analysis of historic Ordnance Survey maps, together with historical photographs, and the current features within the park, confirm that much of the current layout is consistent with the original park layout dating from the 1920s. This includes the tree avenue to Henderson Street, which features ornamental Cherry trees, together with the two groups of Red Horse Chestnut trees; the symmetrical layout of the lozenge shaped planting beds; the circular planting beds to either side of the central axial path leading to the War Memorial, together with the semi-circular Yew hedges either side of the centre circle; the regular planting of Red Oak, Cappadocian Maple and Holm Oak around the perimeter crescent, inter-planted with exotic firs, and under planted with evergreen shrubs including Rhododendron.

Nothing is known about the shrubs which Lunt selected for the lozenge shaped beds and perimeter planting beds.

Analysis of Lunt's (assumed) original planting layout reveals the following. His intention was to provide seasonal interest along Henderson Street through the introduction of spring flowering ornamental Cherry trees, and summer flowering Red Horse Chestnut trees.

The lozenge shaped beds which are symmetrical to the central axial path, were designed to screen and then reveal the centrally located War Memorial as one walked or promenaded along the perimeter paths.

Upon entering the Park at the main entrance on Henderson Street, the path is aligned on the central feature, the Memorial. The shrub and tree planting to the ‘D' shaped crescent was designed to form a backdrop to the Memorial. When looking towards the Memorial from the main entrance, the Holm oaks are viewed to either side of the Memorial, which are flanked by Red Oaks, followed by the Cappadocian Maples. This pattern was as far as we can determine, repeated around the crescent and under planted with Holm Oak and evergreen shrubs, probably of high horticultural interest such as Rhododendron.

The area around the Memorial was deliberately void of tree planting, presumably so not to detract from the setting of the Memorial.

Entrances and Approaches

There are four entrances into Memorial Park. The main entrance is on Henderson Street on the north boundary of the park, and is aligned with the Memorial. The secondary entrance is on Keir Street, the south boundary, and is also aligned on the Memorial which is centralised equidistantly between the two entrances. There are two side entrances into the park off Henderson Street, located on Keir Street and Graham Street, the east and west entrances. These entrances terminate the tree-lined boulevard which runs parallel to Henderson Street.

Natural Heritage

Of the existing trees within Memorial Park. There are 35 different species, of which 17 species are deciduous and 18 evergreen. Considering the small footprint of the park, only some 1.2 hectares, this represents a remarkable variety of tree species within a relatively small area.

Of the deciduous trees, there are many notable species including:

Cappadocian Maple Acer cappadocium, valued for its butter yellow leaf colouration in autumn;

Red Horse Chestnut Aesculus x carnea were planted in groups of four as a central feature within the tree avenue to Henderson Street. Due to their size, they have been managed by pollarding;

The three varieties of ornamental flowering trees within the tree avenue: The Purpled-leaved Cherry Prunus cerasifera ‘Pissardii'. The ornamental flowering Cherry, Prunus ‘Kanzan', one of the most familiar park trees, known for its profusions of large double pink flowers. And Prunus lannesiana, a genus of which there are many cultivars;

The Red Oak Quercus rubra, which are planted around the ‘D' shaped path to complement the butter yellow foliage of the Cappadocian Maple;

Of the evergreen trees, there are many notable species including:

Holm Oak Quercus ilex, whose native range spreads from Spain along the Mediterranean fringe and eastwards to Pakistan, and is therefore a long way from home in Bridge of Allan;

Western Hemlock Tsuga heterophylla, a species discovered by Scottish plant hunter David Douglas in 1828 in its native range of North America. However, it was not brought to Europe until 1852. At one point the species name was changed to albertiana at the request of Queen Victoria because she had such a high regard for it;

Two Hiba Thujopsis dolabrata, unusual as it is the only species in a monotypic genus, often called the False Arbor-vitae. It is the tree's foliage, supposedly hatchet-shaped, which gives the tree its name. From the Latin "dolabra" (a hatchet);

Western Red Cedar Thuja plicata;

There are five species of False Cypress within Memorial Park. Lawson Cypress Chamaecyparis lawsoniana is a tree with strong Scottish connections, having been introduced by Scottish botanist Andrew Murray in 1854 from the upper Sacramento Valley in California. Seed was sent to the Lawson Nursery in Edinburgh and was soon distributed to customers as an evergreen ornamental. Its low nutrient requirements and shade tolerance make it an indispensable urban tree, and false cypress make fine individual specimen trees;

Nootka Cypress Chamaecyparis nootkatensis. Again it is a tree with Scottish roots, having been ‘discovered' by Archibald Menzies in 1790. However, it did not arrive in Britain until 1853. Menzies travelled to the east coast of America and the West Indies in his plant hunting;

The single Giant Redwood Sequiodendron giganteum also referred to as Wellingtonian, and Giant Sequoia, another Menzies discovery within Memorial Park. This tree is located on the Keir Street boundary. The Memorial Park Giant Redwood has grown to 27 metres in height;

Arolla Pine Pinus cembra.

It is noteworthy that not a single native tree species formed part of the tree species selected by Mr. Lunt for the original planting scheme.

Built Heritage

War Memorial

The War Memorial was refurbished in 2008-09 and is in good condition. The refurbishment cost amounted to £31,500.00, of which £21,500.00 was raised by the local community.

Refurbishment work to the memorial involved the dismantling and rebuilding of the memorial incorporating existing and new stone around a rebuilt brick core. The existing granite steps were lifted and reset on a concrete base. This involved installing a new Bardiglio Nuvolato, an Italian marble step unit. Refurbished bronze plaques were fixed to the rebuilt core. New Peakmoor sandstone facing ashlar blocks were fixed onto the existing weathered sandstone blocks, and the top section comprising the original ashlar masonry and bronze laurel wreath rebuilt.

Masonry Walls and Steps

The masonry retaining wall which runs along the Henderson Street boundary is in reasonable repair. The railings were removed, presumably during the Second World War. Some cope stones, including the end scroll stone copes have become dislodged. The three flights of steps located at the main entrance on Henderson Street, and the two flights of steps leading to the War Memorial are in good order.

Paths and Surfaces

Historic photographs reveal that the paths have always been set below the surrounding ground levels, and finished in a loose aggregate surface.They are unedged.

Given that the paths are generally set below or level with the surrounding ground level, all paths are affected with waterlogging. After periods of prolonged rain fall all paths are affected. The perimeter path parallel to Keir Street which includes the secondary entrance is worst affected.

Furniture

None of the original cast iron bench seats evident in historic photographs are evident today.