Service Wing, Braehead House, 29 Braehead Drive, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Circa 1700 with later additions and alterations. Original 2-storey and attic, plain Scots classical house circa 1700; alterations and 2-storey entrance wing added to W gable circa 1877; 2-storey, L-plan service wing to N subdivided and converted as residential late 20th century (Nos 1 and 3 Braepark Road); single storey garage additions at rear. Circa 1700 house: random rubble yellow sandstone; rubble quoins; long and short surrounds to openings; chamfered reveals; attic windows break eaves; crowstepped gables. Entrance wing: squared and snecked rubble sandstone; droved quoins; stop-chamfered polished surrounds to openings; projecting cills; crowstepped gables. N service wing: repointed squared and snecked rubble to parts; random rubble sandstone to remainder; droved rubble quoins; long and short surrounds to stop-chamfered windows (some architraved); projecting cills; stugged sandstone crowsteps.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: polished sandstone doorpiece in bay to outer left comprising roll-moulded surround, pediment, fleur-de-lys tympanum detailing, semi-engaged baluster finials. 2-leaf boarded timber door; glazed vestibule door within. Corbel blocks to 1st floor; single window aligned above entry; tooled sandstone panel set in architraved surround at 1st floor in bay to outer right.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: original block 6 bays with central 2-bay gablet flanked by pedimented dormers; 2-storey, single bay addition to left. Small-pane glazing to timber door at ground in bay to left of centre; single chamfered windows in remaining bays at ground; regularly fenestrated at 1st and attic floors. Stop-chamfered bipartite windows to both floors in later bay to outer left (ground floor aligned with original 1st floor); tooled sandstone panel inset in architraved surround centred in crowstepped apex.

N (REAR COURTYARD) ELEVATION: crowstepped M-gable; single storey, flat-roofed rubble addition to right; 2-storey block with conical-capped tower in re-entrant angle to left. Single window at 1st floor in central bay; 2 small single windows to left of centre; single window at 2nd floor centred in apex; single window at 2nd floor in bay to left of later entrance block.

SERVICE WING, W ELEVATION E WING: central bay with single doorway at ground (No 3 Braepark Road) comprising replacement timber door; polished sandstone stop-chamfered surround. Flanking single windows in bays to left and right of entry; single window at 1st floor in bay to outer left; single window at 1st floor off-set to right of centre. Single windows at both floors in engaged tower in bay to outer right; conical-capped roof; tapering finial above. S ELEVATION N WING: slated pitched porch in re-entrant angle to right (No 1 Braepark Road) comprising boarded timber elevations; single window facing S; single timber panelled door facing W. Relieving arch above single stop-chamfered window at ground in bay to outer left; pedimented dormers in both bays above; overhanging eaves; boarded timber gableheads. N ELEVATION N WING: replacement glazed timber door off-set in bay to left of centre; flanking single windows at ground in 3 bays to left, 2 bays to right of entry. Piended slate-hung dormer in bay to outer left; arrow-slits below eaves in bays at centre, left and right.

Variety of 2-, 4-, 12- and 24-pane timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slate roof; crowstepped skews; corniced sandstone wallhead, ridge and apex stacks; various circular and octagonal cans.

INTERIOR: not seen 1996.

SUNDIAL: roll-moulded coping to raised octagonal pond to S; baluster sundial centred within comprising stepped octagonal base; overhanging octagonal table; iron gnomon.

BOUNDARY WALL AND GATEPIERS: rubble-coped wall to N; square coped wall to S. Random rubble gatepiers flank entry; projecting cornices; surmounting pyramidal rubble tiers; replacement 2-leaf boarded timber gates.

Statement of Interest

Wood?s map, dated circa 1816, shows Braehead House prior to the addition of the W entrance wing. The Ordnance Survey map dated 1853 shows a N wing of similar plan as that of the present block whilst the map dated 1895 shows the new W entrance wing. Built by the Houison family who owned the property from at least 1575. According to Wood, "..part of this property was bestowed by one of the kings of Scotland, upon a husbandman of the name Howison, on account of essential services rendered to his Majesty. Tradition related, that the King, hunting in the neighbourhood, was attacked by a gang of gypsies or robbers.....when the above mentioned person, threshing grain in a barn hard by.....run to his assistance with his flail, and exerted that weapon so manfully as to put the rogues to flight". Plans dated to 1877, signed by a John Shackleton, show alterations and additions, including a new entrance block comprising wine cellar, entrance hall, lobby and bedroom, internal changes and the rebuilding of the L-plan service wing. Note, these plans show a boarded timber porch to the front of the E service wing (since removed) but no porch to the front of the N wing. A large opening to the outer left of the N wing is also shown (since built up to form a window). An overhead passage then linked the service quarters (comprising pantry, kitchen, scullery, earth closets, larder and servant?s bedrooms) with a separate service block to the W (since demolished). Despite subdivision within the original service wing, the house itself remains relatively unchanged. First listed in 1974, the interior was noted as having timber panelling in the kitchen and 1st floor rooms. The 2nd floor is recorded as having been largely altered and the main stair replaced.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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