Glorious Gardens: The Wilsons and South Bantaskine

As Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage (SGLH) Chairman I am very proud to present this story about South Bantaskine Estate by Diana Hardstaff, volunteer on the Glorious Gardens team assigned by SGLH to the recording of non-inventory designed landscapes and gardens in the Falkirk area. The Glorious Gardens project was launched in Falkirk in 2015 and was funded by Historic Environment Scotland. This is one of the 16 sites covered by SGLH in this area. A similar project was carried out in the Clyde and Avon Valley, and we are currently planning a third phase, which will focus on sites in East Lothian. For more details, please go to https://www.sglh.org.

South Bantaskine is a story of a wealthy nineteenth century coal family and the gardens they made. In this video, Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage volunteer Diana Hardstaff tells us the story of the estate and the Wilson family who lived there.

By Diana Hardstaff, Scotland's Garden and Landscape Heritage volunteer.

References & Bibliography

Read next:

Nearby: Camelon, Bantaskine and Tamfourhill

The Camelon Urn: An Ancient Migrant Buried Within the Collections

Nearby: Larbert, Stenhousemuir and Torwood

Glorious Gardens: Glenbervie House

References & Bibliography

Image. “Three miners.” c.1860. P25832. Photographer unknown. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. “Wilson family in doorway of South Bantaskine House.” 1862. P24651. Photographer unknown. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. “Robert Wilson on pony at South Bantaskine.” c.1860. P24624. Photographer unknown. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. “South Bantaskine House Doocot.” 1970s. P07149. Falkirk Town Council, Town Planning Officer. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.

Image. Ordnance survey six-inch map. Stirlingshire sheet XXIV. Reproduced with permission courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.
Image. Stirlingshire XXX map. Published 1875, 1st editon Geological Survey 6inch. Reproduced with permission courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.
Image. “Estate staff assembled in front of the original stables and Doocot.” Early 1850s. P24597. Photographer unknown. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. “The Wilsons playing croquet next to their new house.” c.1870. P24605. James Dunlop. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. “Jane, Nell and Joey Wilson cutting ivy from the archway entrance to the walled garden.” c.1875. P24669. James Dunlop. Falkirk Archive. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. Quote from Scottish Gardens (Sir H Maxwell). Published by Edward Arnold London. Courtesy of hathitrust.org.
Image. Mary Wilson. Oriental poppies and iris in the walled garden, Garden Memories by M G W Wilson published by G. T. Foulis & Co. Ltd. Courtesy of hathitrust.org.
Image. Mary Wilson. Statue in the walled garden. Garden Memories by M G W Wilson published by G. T. Foulis & Co. Ltd. Courtesy of hathitrust.org.
Image. Mary Wilson. Urn in the walled garden. Garden Memories by M. G. W. Wilson published by G. T. Foulis & Co. Ltd. Courtesy of hathitrust.org. Note the lilies, wall and rhododendron in the background.
Image. Mary Wilson. Doocot. A book of Dovecotes by A O Cooke (1920) published by G. T. Foulis & Co. Ltd. Courtesy of hathitrust.org.
Image. Quote from Scottish Gardens (Sir H Maxwell), published by Edward Arnold London and also available at hathitrust.org.
Image. “Pink and green study” of the Fairy Glen rockery. 1856-1939. 1999-060-004. Mary Wilson. Falkirk Museum. From Falkirk Council, collection managed by Falkirk Community Trust.
Image. Newspaper cuttings courtesy of the Falkirk Herald. Accessed via the British Newspaper Archive.
All other images by SGLH volunteers.

· · ·