Alloa Tower Revisited
I blogged about Alloa Tower in Part 90 of this series. The tower wasn’t open that day, but I managed to go back and take advantage of the Open Doors Day. It’s been awhile since I was last inside the tower, and I was pleased to see how well the restoration work has gone.
I arrived just as the doors were opening, so I immediately made for the stairs and went all the way up to the top and out onto the roof to take in the view. I had the roof to myself, so there was no jostling for position for taking the best photographs of the surrounding area. As always I’m struck by the amount of change that has taken place, leaving just this one link with our past. I appreciate change is the only constant, but I’m glad today there is an awareness of the need to maintain these historical sites for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Previous generations I feel were too quick to demolish old buildings, and the balance between the need to modernise and preserve our past heavily skewed towards the wrecking ball. Alloa Tower is a great example of preservation and what can be done with what survived into the twenty-first century. If you look into the history you will see that much of what did exist on this site is lost.
Given how magnificent this building is I wasn’t surprised to see the floors filling up with visitors when I started to make my way back down. The contrast to Clackmannan Tower, which I visited the day before (blog post 125), couldn’t be more striking. Alloa Tower consists of four floors and a rooftop, is furnished, the walls adorned with paintings, and is a warm and welcoming place. The oak beam ceiling is entirely visible and is over seven hundred years old. There is a sweeping Italianate staircase on entering and this takes you up to the first floor which also features a curved balcony situated above the staircase at one end of the tower, overlooking the first floor room. Although accessible via a few stairs, this balcony is cordoned off from the public for reasons of preservation and safety. It really opens the space up and is in contrast to the foreboding Tower facade. The interior is anything but dark and dreary. I was excited to see a Grandfather clock and took a few pictures to add to my collection. There is a painting dating from the later half of the 1700’s by Alloa painter David Allan (1744-1796), which features John Francis 7th Earl of Mar and family. Set in the surrounding garden, we can see the tower along with the Alloa mansion house in the background. This was built in 1710, burned down in 1800, rebuilt in the 1830’s and then demolished after 1868.
Another interesting feature for me was the piano. (I’m pretty sure it is a piano and not a harpsichord). It was similar to the one I saw in the Georgian House (blog post 121), which is again just five octaves which was typical up to the end of the eighteenth century. The name engraved on the wood panel above the keys reads Robert Starr, Edinburgh. I didn’t get an opportunity to speak to anyone about it as they were busy with other visitors. The painting above the fireplace features Lady Frances Erskine, the wife of the 6th Earl of Mar, and their young daughter Frances Charlotte. They are sitting by a harpsichord that has a piece of sheet of music opened ready to play which is an aria from a 1719 opera. At the time of writing I can’t find any further detail about it. This music, along with others from that time were recorded at St Cecilia’s Music Hall in Edinburgh and is played when you walk into the tower. This attention to detail, along with the historical information on display, all makes for a worthwhile and enjoyable visit.
The Fiction Factory 