Description

Farm complex comprising farmhouse, possibly of late 17th century, with 18th and early 19th century barns immediately to N and E. Principal steading includes range oriented N-S with further barns, grieve's house, and kiln projecting E and W at ends to give rough H-plan. Long barn enclosing E side of steading to form quadrangle, additional barn to S parallel to rear elevation of house.

HOUSE: 2 storey and attic, 3-bay symmetrical farmhouse of square double-pile plan. Harled walls with cement margins. Gabled porch projecting in centre bay of principal (W) elevation with infilled doorway in N elevation. Modern window inserted at ground in bay to left. Regular fenestration at upper floors, gabled dormers breaking eaves at 2nd floor.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-bay asymmetrical elevation comprising door centred at ground, window in bay to right off-set to right, regular fenestration elsewhere other than blank at 1st floor in centre bay with windows flanking.

N AND S (SIDE) ELEVATIONS: irregularly fenestrated double gables.

Mainly 4-pane timber sash and case windows, corrugated sheet roofing, concrete skew copes to gables and dormers. Harled 3-flue apex stacks to each gable, coped, with circular cans.

BARNS: mainly rubble-built with corrugated sheet cladding to roofs. Central barn oriented N-S, forming spine, with, vertically-boarded timber door in partially exposed E elevation with brick infilled windows flanking. Barn adjoining to S, oriented at right angle, 2-bay E gable of stugged squared and snecked sandstone with 12-pane timber fixed-lights, slated roof, S elevation partially obscured by adjoining L-plan building comprising barn oriented E-W with slated grieve's house projecting to S at E end. N elevation with vertically-boarded timber doors flanking 4-pane timber sash and case window, door centred at ground of W gable with small window to right; flagstone rubble stair and platt to vertically-boarded timber loft door at 1st floor. Gabled grieve's house advanced at right of S elevation, single flue coped apex stack with octagonal can; 2-bay E elevation with 12-pane timber sash and case window in bay to left, and vertically-boarded timber door with 2-pane fanlight. Kiln barn adjoining N end of central barn, oriented at right angle and projecting to E, with partially rebuilt E gable and 2-tier circular rubble kiln centring W gable, stone slab roof. Gabled barn to E enclosing N side of quadrangle; flagstone rubble walls with stone slab roof, 2 widely-spaced bays in S elevation with vertically- boarded timber door in bay to left and 4-pane fixed-light in bay to right; rubble infill to E gable, vertically-boarded timber door with 3-pane fanlight. Single storey, 12-bay barn with loft, oriented N-S, and enclosing E side of quadrangle; random rubble walls and purple slate roof, 16-pane timber fixed-light in bay outer right, blank bay to left, segmental cart-arches in 3 bays to left, timber doors and partially infilled windows in bay to left. Single-storey, 3-bay gabled barn to rear of farmhouse; flagstone rubble walls and stone slab roof, asymmetrical E elevation with window in bay to left and round-arched cart arches in centre and right bays. 4-bay rear elevation with vertically-boarded timber door in outer right bay and small square windows in bays to left.

Series of random rubble walls enclosing garden to W of house, and flanking drive.

Statement of Interest

Shetland's finest farm, it was built to replace the Old House of Sumburgh at Jarlshof. This "old, plain, family mansion, seated in the middle of the green sward of Sumburgh" was eventually replaced in the later 19th century by David Rhind's Sumburgh House (now Hotel).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17851423

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)