Location
The Inclosure sits at the end of a peaceful residential street in the desirable Kings Park area of Stirling. Stirling is the historic centre of Scotland, with Stirling Castle, Bannockburn and the Wallace Monument being notable attractions. Windsor Place is built on part of the ancient royal hunting grounds of the Scottish kings. It is part of the Kings Park Conservation Area which is characterised by quiet, leafy residential streets of attractive Victorian villas and is regarded as a highly desirable place to live.
Kings Park Golf Course and the town centre are both close by. The town has a good range of independent and high street shops, cafés, restaurants and pubs, together with the superstores on the edge of town. There are a range of private schools nearby, including Dollar Academy, Fairview International School in Bridge of Allan, Strathallan, and Kilgraston (girls only). Stirling University is at Bridge of Allan.
Stirling is well placed for road, rail and bus connections to all the major towns in Scotland. The railway station is about 0.5 miles from the property. The M9 and M80 motorways give quick access to Edinburgh and Glasgow; both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports are within easy reach. The A84 from Stirling is a main route into the highlands and The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. There are opportunities for many outdoor activities including climbing, hill walking, water sports, fishing, shooting and stalking. Gleneagles Hotel with its leisure club and golf courses is only 15 miles to the north.
Description
The Inclosure is a Category C Listed period house that sits at the end of Windsor Place in beautiful gardens. The house offers an abundance of traditional character throughout, and has been substantially, yet sympathetically, upgraded from top to bottom, to create much improved and well-presented accommodation to suit modern family living.
The property can be regarded as one of Stirling's most historic properties. The house has evolved over centuries, and is linked to what was once just a single-storey cottage dating back to circa 1580. The attractive early Georgian addition, including the front façade, dates to circa 1710, and the drawing room extension was added later, in the 19th century. According to Historic Environment Scotland, The Inclosure is the only building constructed prior to 1837 which still survives in the area.
The three principal reception rooms all sit off the elegant entrance hall. The beautifully proportioned drawing room has lovely aspects over the gardens thanks to two large windows including a wide bay at the gable end, both with working shutters. The room features ornate ceiling plasterwork, original exposed timber flooring and a recently installed log burning stove set into a fireplace. The sitting room has stunning obeche timber panelled walls incorporating a shelved recess, a large bay window with shuttering and a new log burner. The dining room has a more contemporary feel with blue painted wall panelling, a window overlooking the front of the house and a door into the kitchen. The stunning kitchen with its bespoke cabinetry is by Sculleries of Stockbridge, and features a central island with breakfast bar and granite worktops. Integrated appliances include a two-oven AGA, wine cooler and dishwasher, and there is a door out to the front of the house. The home office sits at the end of the hallway. It has log-burning stove and doors leading out to both the front and rear of the house. This room could also be used as a ground floor bedroom. Also off the hall are shower, utility, store and boiler rooms.
The elegant staircase curves up from the main entrance hall to the first floor landing. There are two spacious bedrooms, one at each end of the landing, and both offering views to the south and north. One of them has an en suite shower room, while a family bathroom with both a bath and separate shower sits between the two bedrooms. The staircase continues up to the second floor. From this level, there are stunning outlooks over the characterful rooftops towards Stirling Castle with the Ochil Hills beyond. There are two bedrooms with east facing dormer windows, and a box room on this floor.
The gardens at The Inclosure must be among the finest in Kings Park, extending to about 0.39 acres and beautifully designed, with expanses of velvety lawn, meticulously trimmed box hedging, richly planted borders and lovely areas in which to sit in the summer months. The history of the house flows into its gardens too, especially in the orchard which has the remains of its original wall, thought to be two centuries old, running from the southwest to northeast.
The gated driveway sits at the end of Windsor Place, and leads onto the gravelled driveway which passes the front of the house, offering ample off-street parking, and continues to the double garage beyond. There is a separate wood store and workshop in the garden.