Description

Early 19th century with later alterations and additions. 2-storey, 3-bay rectangular-plan symmetrical Laird's house with single storey, 4-bay wing to right (E) and single storey, single bay wing to left (W). Harled; W wing roughly coursed rubble. Eaves course; 1st floor windows set close under eaves. U-plan steading, comprising granary, byre and stables, sited to E of main house.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: part-glazed timber-panelled door at ground in bay to centre; window at 1st floor above. Window at each floor in bays flanking. Boarded door, set to left in W sing.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: window in lean-to porch at ground in bay offset to left of centre; boarded door in left return. Window at each floor in 2 bays to right. Window at each floor in bay to left. Centred window in recessed W wing. 3 evenly disposed doorways in recessed E wing; window in bay to penultimate left.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank wall with gablehead stack to W wing; blank wall with gablehead stack above to main block.

E (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank gabled wall to E wing; blank wall with gablehead stack above to main block.

Predominantly 8- and 12-pane timber sash and case windows; small rooflights. Stone slate roof to main block and to W wing; modern felt tiles to E wing; stone ridges; harled, corniced gablehead stacks to main block; rubble corniced gablehead stack to W wing; harled, coped ridge stack to E wing; cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: boarded dado to lean-to kitchen at rear; timber skirting boards, architraves and panelled doors; plain pilastered and corniced fire surrounds extant; timber staircase with turned timber balusters, timber handrail and ball-finialled newel post.

STEADING:

GRANARY: 2-storey, 5-bay rectangular-plann granary with single bay lean-to addition to E end. Roughly coursed rubble. S ELEVATION: window at ground in bay to centre. Large, square-headed doorway to right. Deep-set boarded door in bay to outer right. Window at 1st floor in bay to penultimate left. Window at ground in bay to outer left. Wide square-headed entrance to lean-to bay to outer left. N (REAR) ELEVATION: window offset to right of centre at ground. Deep-set boarded grain loft door, breaking eaves in bay to right. Small window in lean-to bay to outer right. W (SIDE) ELEVATION: window at each floor below to gabled wall. E (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank wall to lean-to at ground; window (boarded) to gablehead above.

Corrugated-iron and stone tiled roof; flagstone slab roof to lean-to addition; coped skews to lean-to.

INTERIOR: timber floor division with timber stair to grain loft at 1st floor; timber-framed threshing/winnowing machine extant at ground with connecting grain feeder from loft; cast-iron sack-winding machinery above rectangular opening in floor; exposed rafters and tie beams.

BYRE: rectangular-plan byre with derelict store/byre range abutting at right angles, extending to W. Roughly coursed rubble. E (SIDE) ELEVATION: blank. W (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3 evenly disposed windows, set high. S ELEVATION: blank. N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: large, sliding door at ground; narrow light to gablehead above.

Modern felt-tiled roof.

INTERIOR: central slurry channel; concrete animal stalls along E wall; individual cast-iron water troughs; cast-iron tether poles to each stall; exposed rafters and tie-beams.

STABLES: single storey, 3-bay rectangular-plan stable range with further derelict range abutting to S. Roughly coursed rubble. W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: boarded door in bay to centre. Window in each bay flanking.

Stone tiled roof; stone ridge.

INTERIOR: exposed rafters and tie beams; boarded stalls with shaped upper edges to N half; lower concrete water troughs to S end.

SLIPWAY: long, curved rubble slipway with longitudinally set rubble and flagstone surface, and slightly battered sides, sited to E of steading and house; diamond-set stone anchor rods set between surface flagstones.

Statement of Interest

A well-preserved laird's house and accompanying steading with a good, intact granary, formerly called, 'Sandisend'. The Stewart family were the Lairds of Graemsay until 1744 when the title passed to the Honymans, both families using the house as a laird's dwelling.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827155

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)