This beautiful building siting on the hillside just above Menstrie was known by its original owner as Broom Hall. The 'Castle' appellation was attached at some later date.
This Baronial Mansion was constructed in 1874 by Francis Mackison and John Foukes on the instructions of James Johnstone. James Johnstone and his business partner George Drummond were the owners of the very successful Elmbank Mill in Menstrie. The mansion comprised of three floors and a square tower and various building in the grounds as well including a Lodge House at the Gates.
James Johnstone's fortune took a turn for the worse in 1906. He then sold the house to an Italian Riding School. Further information on this era of ownership is sought.
Unknown to all but a few, there happens to be two relatively rare Redwood Sequniadendron Tree's in the grounds of the Mansion. Most people associate “Giant Redwood” trees with America, but there are a few within in the UK.
The Mansion again changed hands this time being bought by Willliam Herbert Leetham, he was formerly in the Northern Regiment until he retired from the military in 1923. He had a background in education and therefore turned the Mansion into the Clifford Park Preparatory Boys School.
On the 28th of June 1940, the boys were taken to camp within the grounds of the school that night. However, while they were all out of the building, its said that a fire started at the back of the 2nd floor. The pupils tried desperately to put the fire out to no avail. The fire took hold very quickly and the glow of the fire lit up the night sky. Fire Master Rober Cairns directed the fight against the fire by the fire brigade and had water pumped from the county mains which was positioned near the Menstrie Railway station (on the left of the humpback bridge as you head out of the village on the road to Tullibody. Most of the railway has been converted into a cycleway, and as such nothing can be seen of the station these days).
As the fire burnt ferociously many local people gathered to see what was happening and how they could help. The most breath-taking moments occurred when the roof collapsed sending sparks high into the night sky that looked like fireworks exploding. Amazingly no one was hurt during the fire and a few pieces of furniture were saved.
The devasting fire was reported in local newspapers the Alloa Journal and the Devon Valley Tribune, describing the terrifying beauty of the fire and the roof collapse.
Fortunately, Mr Leetham had insured the property but even so the repairs were expected to run into several thousand pounds. After the fire the boys were all sent to other schools with the intention that they would return once all the repairs were done. Unfortunately, Mr Leetham, instead of doing the repairs moved away to Canterbury and died in East Sussex in 1980.
After the fire there was one very common theory that was being talked about quietly by local folks, they found it very strange how the German Headmaster had arranged for everyone to be camping out on the grounds of the school on the very night it went on fire. The locals felt that this was possibly planned and that the Headmaster had set the school alit to act as a beacon for German pilots heading back after bombing Clydeside. This theory was added to when another local mansion went up in flames around the time of Broom Hall. However, after checking dates, this theory is unlikely as there was no bombing in Clydeside until March 1941, it is also of note that there was absolutely no bombing anywhere in Scotland until September 1940.
The building was left in ruins, but a Mr Walter Alexander of Kork-N-Seal a metal bottle cap manufacturer, bought the property. He however sold the property on in 1950.
In 1950, the owner of the property was a Mr. Walter McAlpine Chalmers, who in turn rented the mostly ruined property out to radio operator William James Sillars. During his time of ownership, it is believed Mr Chalmers sold the gardeners cottage to Tommy Kettles.
The stables belonging to the building were turned into a house in 1977, whilst the main building itself was again left to decay. During these years of neglect the building became an attraction to local children who used it very much as their own scary playground. The darkness, the mud and the wet grass did not discourage them from playing in the ruins which felt very much like the set of a horror movie whenever there was a storm or thunder and lightning. Eventually a tree was seen to grow out the turret of the tower.
In 1985, the building was given another chance of life when it was rebuilt as a nursing home by Bracewell Stirling Architects. Some large pieces of furniture were donated to the home, it has been suggested that some of these had originally been saved from the fire in 1940.
Eventually in 1999, Clackmannanshire Council received an application to change the use of the building from a Care Home to a small Hotel. In 2003, the building became a hotel, it soon became a popular local venue for weddings. The hotel was made up of 16 bedrooms, a restaurant and lounge. Sadly, however in 2022 the hotel suddenly went into liquidation, this apparently after the loss of business during the Covid Outbreak.
In 2023 it re-opened under new management, and is once again in use as a hotel and wedding venue.
It is unclear when and who changed the name of the Mansion from Broom Hall to Broomhall Castle but for many many local people that is the only name they have ever known the property as.