Description

Dated 1834. Tall 2-storey and dormerless attic, 5-bay rectangular salmon house constructed on sloping site with basement entrance at rear (NE). Modern harl over rubble. Long SW front elevation with doorway reached by forestair at left. 4 regularly spaced widows. 3 chutes (to

ante-room and icehouses) at ground floor, each with protective boulder 'cheeks' flanking openings: each opening fitted with iron hinges for former shutters. Regular 5-bay fenestration in 1st floor of NE rear elevation. Rear doorway under pointed-headed light flanked by similarly shaped window, both serving ante-room (dead-room) and 2 adjoining icehouses. Multi-pane glazing to fanlight and window.

Carved painted (stone) mural datestone between rear door and window depicting salmon between figures 18 and 34 within plain raised border with angle fluted 'fan' motif. Former boiler house with single pitch roof projects from rear. Centre small attic light in each gable; masonry end chimney stacks; slate roof; sandstone ridge.

INTERIOR: upper room reached by outer forestair; hearth at each end; wooden internal stair to attic. Rear entrance leads to stone flagged ante-room; from there into 2 inter-communicating high brick lined vaulted icehouses, each with cobbled floor and each approximately 6m x 5m. Each icehouse served by single mural chute; similar chute to ante-chamber.

RAMP: raised and turfed ramp with drystone rubble retaining wall fronts main SW long elevation.

Statement of Interest

No longer in use as salmon house. Ramp provided access for carts bringing ice to be emptied down chutes into icehouses. The

boulder 'cheeks' each side of chutes protected the openings from wear and tear by carts, horses and men; they are an unusual and practical feature. The ante-room was used to prepare and pack the fish in ice ready for transport (usually by sea) to urban markets. Pickle brine was prepared in the boiler house to partially pickle fish in order to prolong freshness during transport. A salmon silhouette weather-vane was a usual fixture to salmon houses. Though no longer mounted on the pole fixed to E chimney stack, such a vane is stored in the ante-room.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17778159

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)