Description

Circa 1800 or earlier. 2-storey, 3-bay, rectangular-plan traditional farmhouse with stone-pedimented dormerheaded windows, bedroom outshot to rear, later lean-to bay at W gable and outstanding interior with monumental ingle fireplace incorporating salt box and canopied hearth, wall cupboards and evidence of box beds. Thin lime harl with evidence of large ashlar blocks to S, rubble elsewhere; harled ashlar margins and quoin strips.

Further Description:

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Widely spaced bays with small timber porch obscuring 2-leaf boarded timber door to centre at ground, windows in flanking bays; 1st floor with small window at centre, windows to flanking bays breaking eaves into stone-pedimented dormerheads and small rooflight to centre.

Evidence of multi-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates with stone ridge. Broad coped ashlar gablehead stacks with thackstanes. Ashlar-coped skews with block skewputts.

INTERIOR: some outstanding interior details including wide segmental (almost flat) arched, voussoired fireplace (ingle) with canopied hanging lum type central hearth and salt box, timber wall cupboards, evidence of box beds and enclosed timber staircase leading to 1st floor with 2 bedrooms incorporating coomb ceilings; further rectangular wall recess immediately to east of front door (see Notes).

Statement of Interest

Group with Badenyon, Begg's House Steading. Formerly listed as Badenyon Farmhouse, Begg's House is an outstanding and rare survival of an early Donside vernacular farmhouse. Although now falling into decay it nevertheless exhibits some very fine interior features which identify it as a superior dwelling in the Glen. The extraordinary wide-arched ingle-type fireplace enclosing a canopied central hearth was the only one located during the 2005 survey of Glenbuchat, but a few identical or very similar structures were discovered in the adjoining parish of Strathdon at the old farmhouse at Skellater House, Bellabeg House (also in the older house), West Tornahaish and Mains of Glencarvie. A 'Glenbuchat ingle of the last century' is illustrated in the Book of Glenbuchat (fig 39) but it does not immediately appear to be the Badenyon example leading to the assumption that there is (or was) at least one further example in the Glen, possibly that at Dulax which may have been partly enclosed. Fenton & Walker say 'These fireplaces were much larger than one would expect in the size of building, being of a scale more suitable for the great hall of a tower house or castle'. A striking example of the great hearth, with well cut voussoirs, can be found in a farmhouse dated 1822 in Glenfenzie at the top of Glengairn. The wall recess beside the front door is another feature found in a number of Strathdon houses, its purpose was probably for storing a container of milk or water.

Badenyon (spelt Badaneoin on the 1st Ordnance Survey map) is sited at the spot where the old drove road from the north crosses the glen, and is fairly typical, although larger than most, of the small farming settlements in Glenbuchat. The depopulation of this area is well documented, with ample evidence of ruins at almost every settlement. Badenyon, though, has earlier connections as the site of Badenyon Castle is immediately to the east of Begg's House, itself superseded at the beginning of the twentieth century by the separately listed Jeannie's House.

There are two steading ranges at the Badenyon settlement, that immediately to the west of Begg's House is a slate-roofed U-plan steading of slightly later date, listed at category C(S). The listing for Jeannie's House includes the 18th century L-plan steading and Jeannie's Mother's House (yet another earlier dwelling).

Category changed from C(S) to B in 2006.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17771057

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

• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Care and Repair
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)