Easter Parkgate Farmhouse, Parkgate, Dumfries, Annandale North, Dumfries and Galloway

Description

Easter Parkgate is an agricultural settlement comprising a farmhouse (that formerly operated as a coaching inn) and an associated steading. These buildings are located at the roadside of the A701 Dumfries to Beattock road.

Easter Parkgate farmhouse is a two-storey, three-bay, rectangular-plan farmhouse dating from the mid to late-18^th century, with a narrower three-bay wing attached to the west, dating from the early to mid-19^th century. They are constructed in whitewashed rubble with rendered and painted margins to the openings.

The front (south) elevation is six bays and comprises the original three-bay farmhouse to the east and the later three-bay wing to the west. Each have a central entrance opening, with a corniced doorpiece to the eastern doorway. The rear (north) elevation is four bays and contains two door openings. A single-storey, rectangular-plan return is attached to the eastern end, which has whitewashed rubble walls, and a mono-pitched roof. A stepped and coped rubble wall extends eastwards from the northeast corner of the farmhouse, which has a pedimented doorway next to the house, containing a lions-head motif.

The graded slate roof is pitched with red sandstone skews. There are three chimneystacks, one at each gable apex and one along the roof ridge. These are largely red brick but that to the west is dressed stone. There are three small rooflights in the south roof pitch. The windows are largely timber sliding sashes with a four-pane glazing pattern to the original farmhouse (to the east) and eight-panes to the western wing. There are some eight-pane fixed lights to the rear return.

Photographs from 2010 show the interior of the farmhouse has some typical late-18^th/early-19^th century features, such as low ceilings with timber beams and rubblestone chimneypieces. Its fixtures and fittings and the internal decorative scheme appear to largely date from the mid to late-20^th century.

There is an earlier 19^th century, single-storey, L-plan steading with attic to the east. It is constructed in harl-pointed rubble with dressed sandstone rybats. There are two cartshed openings in the north range, ventilator slits and a single entrance opening with timber doors. A lower, single-storey building is attached to western end of the north range. The east range of the steading has a hay loft in the south gable (facing the road) and an entrance opening below, offset to the left. The pitched roofs are partially slated with rooflights and a contrasting roof ridge. Large sections of the roof have collapsed. The steading is fronted by an open courtyard.

Historical development

The settlement of Parkgate is first shown on Crawford's map of 1804 as two distinct clusters of buildings surrounded by sections of land bounded by trees. A newspaper sales advert dating from 1812 confirms Parkgate was an agricultural settlement with two farms, known as Easter Parkgate and Wester Parkgate and which operated separately. The description of the two farms notes both Easter and Wester Parkgate's arable land is of "first quality" and includes rich meadow, woodland and improvable pasture (Caledonian Mercury).

Easter Parkgate (and Wester Parkgate) was part of the tenanted farm holdings of the Kirkmichael estate which was owned and improved by John Stewart Lyon Esq. of Kirkmichael (1818-62) (Banffshire Journal and General Advertiser). The Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1848-58 describes the accommodation at Easter Parkgate as a farmhouse and an inn occupied by Thomas Eskdale (OS1/10/32/125).

The farmhouse operated as a coaching inn on the Edinburgh to Dumfries and Portpatrick turnpike road via Moffat (Principal Roads through Scotland, p.5). A sales advertisement from 1824 describes the inn (known as Parkgate Inn) as "well-frequented" and confirms that the farmhouse likely dates from the late-18^th century (The Scotsman). The mail coach passed Easter Parkgate four times a week as well as a daily coach between Glasgow and Dumfries along this route. By 1845 the mail coach from Edinburgh to Dumfries travelled along the turnpike road twice daily (New Statistical Account).

Easter Parkgate is first shown in detail on the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1857, published 1858). This map shows Easter Parkgate and Wester Parkgate (marked as Parkgate) with a boundary line of trees separating the two farms. Easter Parkgate farmhouse is shown as a rectangular-plan building with two outshots at the rear and a small structure attached to the east gable. The narrow wing is shown adjoining the west gable, confirming that this wing was added before 1857.

A horsemill is shown attached to the north range of the steading and a wall projects from the lower, western section of the north range and joined the east gable of the house, separating the steading courtyard from the farmhouse. This map also shows a laid-out garden at the rear of the house which was possibly a kitchen garden providing produce for the farm and inn. Another steading is shown over the road to the south but it was demolished in the late 20^th century and a new house built on the site in the early 2000s.

By 1878 the farm of Easter Parkgate extended to about 133 Imperial acres of drained arable land, grass and pasture, with a "suitable and commodious" steading and farmhouse accommodation (The Scotsman). The 2^nd Edition Ordnance Survey map (revised 1899 and published 1900) shows that the footprint of the buildings had remained largely unchanged except for the removal of the horsemill.

The Ordnance Survey map of 1976 shows little change to the buildings in the 20^th century, except for the removal of the small return to the western part of the rear elevation. Between 1989 and 2014 a number of applications for planning permission and listed building consent were submitted relating to alterations to the farmhouse and plans to convert the steading to a dwelling (Dumfries and Galloway Council planning portal). Conversion works to the steading have not been completed (as of 2020).

Easter Parkgate is now privately owned and no longer in use as a farm (2020).

Statement of Interest

Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

The farmhouse retains its mid to late-18^th century architectural and historic character and together with the earlier 19^th century steading represents an important period in agricultural history in Scotland.

The farmhouse is well-proportioned and the restrained classical style demonstrates the aspirations towards fashionable high-status country houses of the period.

The steading has some loss of fabric, but overall it retains its earlier 19^th century layout and distinctive architectural features showing its original agricultural function, such as its irregular openings and plan form.

The historic setting of the farmhouse and steading has been largely retained and together they are a good surviving historic group of Improvement period agricultural buildings.

There is further social historical interest in its former use as an inn on the Edinburgh to Dumfries turnpike road in the earlier 19^th century.

Architectural interest:

Design

Farmhouse

Easter Parkgate is a well-proportioned farmhouse in a restrained classical style that is typical of Improvement period farmhouses of the mid-18^th to mid-19^th century. This is particularly evident in the symmetry of its principal elevation, including the later wing added to the west elevation, and the window openings which are set close to the eaves and spaced widely apart.

During the Improvement period, the previous system of joint-tenants who lived together in fermtouns was replaced by newly planned farms, comprising steadings run by a single farmer from a single farmhouse, (Glendinning and Wade Martins: p. 28). The farmer would then employ labourers who might be housed in cottages some distance from the farmhouse.

The layout at Easter Parkgate is indicative of farm design of the late-18th century/early-19th century Improvement period and reflects the growing status of the tenant farmer and the emerging formal arrangements of farms at this time. The farmhouse was designed so that it was separated and angled away from the steading to the east. The nearby row of cottages at Corses, to the east (listed category C, LB10376) may have functioned as cottages for farm labourers employed at Easter Parkgate. This separation between the main farmhouse and the ancillary buildings emphasises social divisions of the period and the changing status of the tenant farmer. The roadside positioning of the farmhouse, coupled with its size and scale, also reflects its former use as a coaching inn.

Photographs included in sales particulars from the 2010s show the interior of the house contains some features typical for a farmhouse of the late-18^th/early-19^th century. These include low ceilings with timber beams and rubblestone chimneypieces with dressed sandstone openings. However, the internal decorative scheme and much of the fixtures and fittings appear to date from the late-20^th century.

Steading

The design, details, plan form and construction materials of Easter Parkgate steading are characteristic of a typical steading dating from the early 19^th century. Comprising a barn, byres, stables and storage sheds arranged around an open courtyard, the L-plan layout of the steading is retained despite some later changes and loss of fabric. Situated in close proximity to the farmhouse, the functional arrangement of the steading was designed to maximise the efficient operation of the farm, reflecting the changing farming practices of the period.

The varying treatment and features of each section of the building are retained, demonstrating the different agricultural purposes that they were used for. This includes the large openings to the former cartshed and the narrow ventilation slits in the sections that would have housed livestock. A large opening remains in the gable apex of the east range (fronting the road), which indicates that this section included a hayloft.

The removal of the horsemill has not had some effect on the historic character of the steading. However, the loss of horsemills was not uncommon after their use became obsolete because of improvements in farming from the late-19^th century (as shown on the 2^nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1899).

Recent photographs (2010) show that the roof structure has collapsed in the central section of the north range. However overall, the steading retains a significant amount of earlier 19^th century fabric and the relative lack of later alterations is unusual and contributes to its authenticity.

It is common for farmhouses and outbuildings to be altered over time to increase space and accommodate new functions. The house was substantially extended in the earlier 19^th century but since this time there has been very minimal change to the footprints of both buildings. This lack of alteration is unusual and therefore adds interest to the buildings in listing terms.

Together Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading continue to be of special architectural interest because they retain much of their historic character and the surviving fabric continues to demonstrate its former use as a coaching inn and farmhouse, with an associated steading.

Setting

Easter Parkgate is a farmhouse and steading located approximately seven miles to the northeast of Dumfries and about half a mile to the northeast of the current village of Parkgate. Easter Parkgate is adjacent to the northern side of the A701 Dumfries to Beattock road and remains surrounded by large areas of farmland. The adjacent farm, Wester Parkgate, was historically linked as another tenanted farm on the Kirkmichael estate.

Both the immediate and wider setting of Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading remain largely unchanged from that shown on the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1857. A small addition on the rear elevation of the west wing of the farmhouse has been removed, as has the horsemill and kitchen garden. Such minor alterations are not unusual for a site that remained in use as a farm throughout the 19^th century. Overall, the late-18^th/early-19^th century layout of the farm is retained, particularly the visual connection between the farmhouse and steading.

Easter Parkgate is a prominent feature of the landscape, particularly when viewed from the road. The close proximity to the road reflects its former use as an inn and prominent coaching stop along the historic turnpike road. In this period steadings were typically built very close to but separate from the farmhouse. The survival of the steading is important in demonstrating how this building was functionally and historically related to the farmhouse, both as an ancillary component of the farm and as a store for coaches and horse tackle when the house was used as an inn.

A row of single-storey, early to mid-19^th century cottages remain to the northeast of Easter Parkgate, at Corses (listed at category C, LB10376). The Ordnance Survey Name Book (1848-58) describes the village of Parkgate as consisting of two farms, an inn and cottages at the roadside (OS1/10/32/125). The style, date and close proximity of these cottages to the two farms at Parkgate suggest they may have been built as accommodation for farm labourers. Their retention adds to the special interest of Easter Parkgate and aids our understanding of how Improvement period farms would have functioned.

Historic interest:

Age and rarity

Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading are indicative of farm design of the mid to late-18^th/early 19^th century. Its roadside setting is of further interest because of its use as a coaching inn on the Edinburgh to Dumfries turnpike road during the 19^th century.

The late-18^th/early-19^th century was a period of significant improvement in farming practices across Scotland, and many farmhouses and associated agricultural buildings were constructed in this period. From the mid-18^th century agriculture in Scotland was transformed as subsistence farming gave way to the creation of larger farms. Drainage, use of lime as a fertiliser and improved understanding of husbandry all contributed to this and land was enclosed into fields and very small landholdings were merged into larger farms.

By the 1760s the farming system in southwest Scotland was dominated by the need to provide southern markets with store cattle and therefore oats were grown as the main subsistence crop. Easter Parkgate is in Kirkmichael parish which, because of its relative flatness and dryness, was one of the best grain-growing parishes. This is reflected in the scale of the parish's farm steadings. The New Statistical Account of 1845 records that at that time the greatest gross amount of produce in the parish was 1350 acres of oats and around 1650 cattle grazed (p.74).

While farmhouses are not a rare building type, those associated with the introduction of early and improving farming practice (from roughly the mid-18th to the mid-19th centuries), which demonstrate quality of design and construction and which remain to a greater or lesser degree in their original form may have interest in listing terms.

The southwest of Scotland was a particularly rich agricultural area and many 19^th century farmhouses and steadings survive today. The parishes of Kirkmichael and Tinwald contained several enclosed farms with substantial steadings and offices attached, including Townhead, Townfoot (both unlisted), Cumrue (listed at C, LB10378) and Kirkland (listed at B, LB10383).

Farmhouses and steadings are a prolific building type that can be found across Scotland. However, Easter Parkgate is an important example of an Improvement period farmhouse and associated steading, which retains its late-18^th/early-19^th century plan form, and much of its historic character and setting. The layout of the farmhouse and its ancillary buildings reflects the changing farming practices and social system of the period and the classical style of the house shows an aspiration towards fashionable architecture of the period.

Social historical interest

Agriculture was, and continues to be, a significant part of the economy of Dumfries and Galloway. Traditional agricultural buildings are an important historical record of Scotland's agricultural past. The survival of Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading is part of the area's agricultural history, particularly of the late-18^th/early 19^th century Improvement period.

Easter Parkgate farmhouse and steading are a good surviving example of a style and form that is typical of historic farmhouses and steadings in this area of Scotland. Its former use as a coaching inn along the Edinburgh to Dumfries turnpike road adds to its special interest and highlights the historic network for travel and postal communications between towns before the arrival of motorised transport.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Other Information

Easter Parkgate is sometimes referred to as a former tollhouse, however the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1857 and the Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1848-58 confirms the tollhouse was located further along the road to the southwest of Easter Parkgate (OS1/10/32/129).

Listed building record revised in 2021.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing
Wikidata IDs Q17808349 Q17808357

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