Description

Early to mid 19th century. Pair of 2-storey terraced houses adjoining N end of long row of 6 former weaver's cottages (see separate listing). Sandstone rubble with smooth ashlar dressings. Round-arched window openings to 1st floor at N gable of Pentlands.

Predominantly 4-pane glazing to timber sash and case windows. Grey slate. Broad gable end and ridge stacks with tall clay cans. Cast iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: some early to mid 19th century details including moulded timber doorframes and niche recess to ground floor. Round-corbelled fragments of late 18th century stone fireplace at Elphinstone.

Statement of Interest

part of a B Group comprising: Row of 6 Cottages (Ferndale, Houlet, Amulree, Finlaggan, Blinkieknowe, Birkenbush); Carlops, Row of 3 Cottages (Ashley, The Biggin, Weavers); Carlops, Carlops Church; Carlops, Pentland and Elphinstone; Carlops, Allan Ramsay Hotel; Carlops, Row of 4 Cottages (Springbank, Carberry, Langskaill, Jess (see separate listings).

This pair of traditional, prominently located terraced dwellings form part of a key row in the village, terminating to the S with Carlops Church (see separate listing). The 1st-floor round-arched window openings to gable end add to the architectural interest of the wider group. The fireplace to one of the ground floor rooms at Elphinstone retains the rounded corbels of the type originally found in all the kitchens of the adjoining weaver's cottage, no others of which now survive. It is possible that Thomas Elphinstone added an additional storey to two existing single-storey weaver's cottages in 1812.

The village was established in 1784 by Robert Brown, the laird of Newhall, who layed out linear rows of cottages on each side of the main Edinburgh to Biggar road. As the textile industry declined towards the end of the 19th century, the picturesque village found a new role as a health resort for summer visitors from Edinburgh and remains a centre for day visitors and Pentland Hill walkers. The village has retained its traditional character, largely due to the linear nature of the surrounding geography.

Change of category from B to C(S) and list description updated at resurvey (2010).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56617191

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

• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)