The Old Manse, Abbey St Bathans, Abbey St Bathans, Scottish Borders

Entry Name: The Old Manse, Abbey St Bathans

Listing Name: The Old Manse Including Outbuilding, Coal Shed and Boundary Walls

Listing Date: 16 December 1997

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 391644

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB44916

Building Class: Cultural

Also known as: Abbey St Bathans, The Old Manse

ID on this website: 200391644

Location: Abbey St Bathans

County: Scottish Borders

Electoral Ward: Mid Berwickshire

Parish: Abbey St Bathans

Traditional County: Berwickshire

Tagged with: Manse

Description

1822 with later additions and alterations. 2-storey with basement, 3 bay plain classical style, rectangular-plan former manse with lower, 2-storey, single bay flanking wings; gabled porch to front; single storey conservatory addition to side. Harl-pointed squared and snecked whinstone; cream sandstone ashlar dressings; painted timber oriel at rear. Whinstone quoins; droved sandstone long and short surrounds to openings; projecting, polished sandstone cills. Single storey, 5-bay rectangular-plan, outbuilding (former stable) to SW. Single storey, single bay coal shed to W.

SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: central block comprising pedimented porch advanced at ground in bay to outer left; single window to centre; timber panelled door in return to left; single window at ground in bay to outer right; single windows in all 3 bays at 1st floor (blocked and painted in bay to outer right). Single windows at both floors in bay recessed to outer right on falling ground. Bipartite window at ground in lean-to projection in bay to left; single window recessed at 1st floor. Single storey conservatory addition to outer left.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: central block with bipartite window at basement off-set to left of centre; single window in bay to right; 4 light canted oriel centred at ground floor; single windows in 2 bays above. Single window at basement in full-height bay on falling ground recessed to outer left; single window in lean-to projection in bay to outer right.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; plate glass timber sash and case oriel window. Graded grey slate roof; raised stone skews at centre; cast-iron rainwater goods. Apex stacks to central block (rendered to SW, red brick to NE); various circular cans. Tall red brick wallhead stack to conservatory; single circular can.

INTERIOR: not seen 1997.

OUTBUILDING: to SW. Harl-pointed rubble; droved sandstone dressings. Boarded timber doors to openings; part grey slate, part corrugated-iron roof; red brick apex stack to S INTERIOR: not seen 1997. COAL SHED: to W. Harl-pointed rubble; tooled sandstone dressings. Boarded timber door off-set to left of centre. Grey slate roof; replacement rainwater goods. INTERIOR: not seen 1997.

BOUNDARY WALLS: rubble walls enclosing garden.

Statement of Interest

A most unusual design. Although John Sked, then the minister of Abbey St Bathans Church, refers to a manse in the late 18th century, it is thought that the existing structure dates from 1822 and a period of development funded by the Turnbull family (see Craw's notes). Heritors of the parish from 1786, the Turnbulls saw to the improvement of existing buildings as well as the erection of new ones - the manse being a good example of the latter. Today, despite a conservatory addition to its side, the Old Manse retains some interesting features. With the emphasis on the vertical, the feel is almost Palladian with its full-height flanking wings and attempt at an overall symmetry. Two wells, one of which is marked on the 1900 Ordnance Survey map as "Nun's Well", are situated within its boundaries - both are now covered.

External Links

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