A compact seventeenth-century charitable building survives on Spittal Street in residential use.
Quick facts
- Date
- Seventeenth century; altered and restored 1959
- Architect / designer
- Original builder unknown
- Type
- Early charitable hospital building with round stair tower
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB41483)
- OS grid reference
- NS 79393 93590
Architecture and continuing use
The rubble-built, two-storey and basement range has six bays and a prominent round stair tower. Its scale and irregular historic openings distinguish it from later street development.
Its story
The building belonged to the charitable foundation established by Stirling tailor Robert Spittal. Later alteration and restoration retained the old hospital as part of the city’s surviving early social infrastructure.
Why it is included
Category A status, early date and the material survival of burgh charity make it an important counterpoint to Stirling’s better-known royal monuments.
What to notice
- Round stair tower.
- Rubble masonry and varied historic openings.
- Relationship with the steep Spittal Street townscape.
Reading the surroundings
This is private housing. View from the public street without entering closes or shared areas, and respect residents and traffic.
Timeline
- Seventeenth century The building belonged to the charitable foundation established by Stirling tailor Robert Spittal. Later alteration and restoration retained the old hospital as part of the city’s surviving early social infrastructure.
- Present Private residential flats.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Recent sale particulars confirm residential occupation but do not establish access to any communal or historic interior.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Spittal’s Hospital, LB41483 — Designation status, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Spittal’s Trust — History and continuing charitable legacy of Robert Spittal’s foundation.
- Recent residential property particulars — Current confirmation of residential use within the building.
Location
OS grid reference NS 79393 93590 · Location confidence: High: the statutory designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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