Balmore, 3 West Road

Balmore is the most westerly of what were the three great mansions of Westwood, Kinbrae and Balmore. It was built in 1877 for William Robertson, successful iron-founder in Dundee. William Robertson lived previously at 15 Woodmuir Crescent, also called Balmore. When he moved house, he took its name with him. The earlier Balmore was renamed Tighnavon.

The ornate stairway

Set on a 3-acre site, Balmore is built mainly on the ground and first floors with a single room on the second floor within a square tower. This is adjacent to a spiral stairway up to the flagpole and outlook area which commands uninterrupted views across the river to Dundee.

Accommodation

The original house had a large hallway on the ground floor with a sitting room, morning room, dining room, music room and a small hall leading to the servants’ quarters, kitchen and service rooms. There was an organ under the ornate wooden stairway leading to the upper hallway with two principal bedrooms each with dressing rooms off, two other bedrooms and a smaller hallway leading to two bathrooms and the butler’s pantry. The spiral stairway leads from the upper hall to the parapeted outlook area and flagpole, passing a small box room, the viewing room and another attic space on the way.

As Provost of Dundee 1875-1878, William Robertson was much involved in the opening of the first Tay Rail Bridge in 1878. Clearly interested in this magnificent achievement, he apparently watched and timed trains crossing the new bridge from his windows at Balmore, but was deeply concerned at the speeds he recorded, so concerned indeed that he stopped using the trains and reverted to the ferries.

The Lawson Family

From 1919 onwards the house was owned by the Lawson family. James Douglas Lawson was Provost of Newport from 1950 until 1952. There is some lovely film footage on the Newport history website of the Lawson children in the grounds of Balmore, in fancy dress for the 1937 Coronation celebrations. The original grounds included stables, a sizeable kitchen garden (now a telephone switchgear hub) with a large, heated glasshouse, a garage and outhouses.

Post-World War II

Sometime during World War II the Lawsons divided the house to accommodate other members of their family and it was split into three separate residences. The front ground floor was named Redhu, the rear ground floor Thorndene, with the upper floors retaining the Balmore name.

In 1957 Balmore and Redhu were bought by Ernest and Beryl Dunkerley. After the death of Ernest, and Beryl’s remarriage to Allan Ramsay, Beryl and Allan were able in 1986 to purchase Thorndene, bringing the whole house back under one family ownership, as it still is today.