Falkirk Steeple

Falkirk has had a steeple for about 400 years, the present structure being the third to occupy the site. Little is known about the first steeple but, by 1697, it had fallen into disrepair and a local mason, William Stevenson, was given the task of demolishing it and building a replacement.

 

It was from the upper floors of the second steeple that a number of of townspeople are said to have watched the Second Battle of Falkirk in January 1746, at which the Jacobite army under Lord George Murray defeated a force of government soldiers.

 

Local legend has it that the commander of the government army, General Henry Hawley, broke his sword in disgust against the Mercat Cross as his troops fled through the town and on to Linlithgow. The site of the Cross is marked in the cobbles a few yards west of the present steeple.

 

In 1801, a Mr William Glen, who owned property to the east of the steeple, was given permission by Forbes of Callendar to make use of the ground floor of the steeple provided he did nothing to endanger the structure of the building. Despite this agreement, Glen began digging around the foundations of the steeple. As a result of this, the steeple began to subside and, by 1803, it had become so bad that the building had to be demolished. For the second time in just over 100 years, Falkirk found itself without a steeple.

 

By 1812, the Stentmasters, a group of men from the town who were responsible for raising money for the upkeep of public buildings and services, decided it was time to build a

new steeple. The architect David Hamilton designed the new structure and, in December 1812, a local builder named Henry Taylor began the construction. The new steeple was 140 feet high, and built of Brightons sandstone. The work cost £1,460 and was completed in June 1814.

 

The only major work done on the exterior of the building since then was the replacement of the topmost 40 feet of the tower, which was blown off by a lightening strike in June 1927. Luckily, a heavy rainstorm had cleared the streets and the falling masonry claimed only a Barr's delivery horse, named Irn Bru, which was standing below. Stonework from the damaged tower was found as far away as Bank Street and Vicar Street.

 

Internally the steeple has four levels. The ground floor was intended to be the town office and is today the site of the  town hall box office. In the upper floors, there are two prison cells and a jailers room. The steeple has not been used as a prison for a great many years, and one of the cell doors has been removed to Falkirk museum. The doors above the cells contain the clocks, the bell and a large number of pigeons! A system of ladders give access to the top of the tower.

 

Falkirk steeple is today listed as an ancient monument and as such is protected against external alteration. A few years ago the sandstone was cleaned and restored to its natural honey colour, which did much to improve the building's appearance. Standing in the middle of the town, the steeple will remain a symbol to all Falkirk's Bairns worldwide for many years to come.

 

This article was written by John Walker.