Rodney Split Ends
Most current Perth residents know Rodney Lodge as the excellent
sports facility run by Perth and Kinross Leisure at the end of the
Queen's Bridge. What many may be blissfully unaware of is that the
original Rodney Lodge has a story to tell that is completely
bizarre! Staff at the AK Bell library have been unearthing a
remarkable tale.
The first Rodney Lodge was originally known as Marshall Cottage
and built on an area of ground previously known as the
Whistlecroft. The impressive cottage was constructed in 1800 by
Provost Thomas Hay Marshall. In 1866 it transferred into the
ownership of a John Rollo, who renamed the property Rodney Lodge.
All was well until the late 1890s when it was decided that a second
traffic bridge was required for Perth. The rowing boat ferry, which
plied its course from the riverbank below Kinnoull Churchyard
across to the Watergate, was deemed no longer suitable.
In 1897 the route of the former Victoria Bridge was approved. It
was, in fact, the same route followed by the current, and wider,
Queen's Bridge, which was opened in 1960. The problem was that the
route of the proposed bridge was to plough directly through the
middle of Rodney Lodge. Not surprisingly the owner was not best
pleased. The Council had to obtain compulsory purchase powers, but
their valuation was well below the £20,000 sought by John
Rollo junior, son of the 1866 purchaser. The eventual amount paid
after arbitration was £3,765. As a gesture of defiance for
what he considered to be inadequate compensation, Mr Rollo insisted
that the amount of land given up should be, to the millimetre, only
that required for construction of the bridge.
The result was that two substantial gable ends were left
standing at either side of the east end of the bridge, resembling
two ungainly and ramshackle bookends. There was no concession to
tidying up. Even wallpaper was left on the walls of the rooms
exposed by the demolition. Naturally it attracted the attention of
"visitors and motorists". It was reported in the Perthshire
Advertiser that one Dundonian visitor, while giving evidence in a
court case, mistakenly took the ruins to be those of the Fair
Maid's House! Whether or not the mistake was made tongue-in-cheek
is not clear. The defiant gable ends stood for some time later and
with their demolition disappeared one of the more unusual aspects
of Perth's recent architectural history.
The current Rodney Lodge, or Rodney Pavilion as it has become
known, was built in 1932 and opened in 1933. It forms the focal
point of the sporting grounds bought by the General Accident for
the enjoyment of their employees. Tennis courts and a bowling green
were added in 1936. The land was sold to the GA by Miss Rollo,
sister of "wronged John".
The Rodney building and the grounds came into local authority
ownership in 1985 when the GA sports facilities moved to the new
office site at Pitheavlis. They have been a veritable jewel in
Perth's leisure crown since. Rodney Gardens have been the showpiece
in Perth's remarkable success in national and international floral
competition, Rodney Pavilion has become a state-of-the-art fitness
centre and the wider Norie Miller Walk and Bellwood Park have been
key locations for Perth's nationally-renowned sculpture trail and
circular town walkway. There are photos, newspaper articles and
official papers relating to the evolution of the site in Perth and
Kinross Council Archive and the Local Studies section in the AK
Bell library.
