Description

1785; upper storey added earlier 19th century and later additions/alterations; reconstructed 1927. 2 storey 3-bay rectangular plan farmhouse with single storey former outbuilding ranges to N and S. Coursed sandstone rubble to ground floor of W side of house and parts of ranges on this side; mixed rubble elsewhere; droved and stugged sandstone dressings; polished margins to openings of house; projecting stone sills to most windows, apart from ground floor of house. Long and short quoins; coped gables.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical arrangement to house; central entrance with flanking windows; 2-leaf boarded timber door; lintel inscribed ?1785?. Flanking single storey ranges, formerly farm outbuildings, set back slightly. That to left built in 2 sections: that adjoining house has entrance with glazed patio door and single window to left; slightly lower section to left with piended roof; gable-headed window to right and former open-sided section (now with set back glazing) to left supported on 2 cast-iron columns. Section to right of house has wide (cart) entrance with 2-leaf boarded timber doors; entrance with glazed door to left and 2 windows to left of that with lintel-like stone inscribed ?3 jully 22 Day May? in between.

E ELEVATION: single storey piended-roofed extension (former entrance porch) to centre of house; single window to return to either side (that to right formerly a door); current entrance with glazed door to left of porch. Right range has 2 windows to section adjoining house; 4 windows with later 20th century concrete architraves to section to right; entrance with similar architrave between 3rd and 4th windows. Left range has entrance to right with adjacent small window immediately to right; 2 windows to left; truncated projecting masonry section in between; similar section projecting to far left, set at angle; probably remains of former horse engine which existed to E.

OTHER ELEVATIONS: blank, apart from small window to upper storey of N side of main section of house. Stone coping to gables.

Mainly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roofs; that to end of N range is piended. Coped gablehead stacks to main body of house; single coped ridge stack to S range. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: main body of house retains timber winding staircase with central newel opening off central entrance hall. Early/original fireplace with plain stone surround in room to S of entrance; small recess in wall to left; larger one to right with 2-leaf timber doors.

BOUNDARY WALLS: of rubble. Section along Braid Road has rubble coping and 2 entrance gateways; that to N has plaque mounted on it explaining the history of the Buckstane, a small standing stone which has been situated below (see Notes). S gateposts have ashlar coping with ball finials, probably dating from 1927 reconstruction. Taller section of wall with ashlar coping to N appears to be earliest.

WELL: remains of circular well approximately 3 feet in diameter to W of house; coursed rubble walls; approximately 75cm deep (lower sections infilled).

Statement of Interest

Additional outbuildings formerly existed at right angles to NW of N range (along line of boundary wall here); also a horse engine to E of S range ('thrashing machine' on 1855 map). A small, roughly-hewn standing stone, known as the Buckstane, was relocated just to the NW of the boundary wall of this property in 1964 (it had originally been situated approximately 250 yards to the N). It is thought to have been a march stone marking the boundary of the Crown lands and according to tradition it was from here that the king?s buck-hounds were unleashed when he was hunting in the area in the Middle Ages. An inscribed metal plaque built into the boundary wall of the farmhouse provides a brief record of its history.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17792224

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

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)