Description

Circa 1749 for Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Traquair (11th Laird) with mid to later 19th century improvements; cottage extended into store later 20th century. 1?-storey, 3-bay vernacular estate cottage with gabled timber dormers; adjoining single storey, multi-bayed vernacular range containing (former) store, cart arch and workshop/store. Coursed whinstone rubble with whinstone dressings to earlier openings and sandstone sills to later/altered openings.

NE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left, 1 ?-storey cottage with central boarded timber entrance door and narrow letterbox fanlight surmounting, rectangular windows to flanks; to attic storey, pair of gabled timber dormers with slated cheeks and pitched roofs aligned with outer bays, 2-pane cast-iron Carron light to centre (lighting stairs). Adjoining cottage to left, large single storey range comprising former store abutting cottage with window and timber boarded door (now part of cottage), segmental-headed cart arch with pair of timber boarded doors and to right, large opening (originally with timber sliding door) latterly in-filled with timber boarding, gate and glazing of various style. Gabled ends and fairly plain rear elevation.

4 and 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Pitched slate roof with lead ridging and extended slating in lieu of skews. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Pair of short squat whinstone stacks (sited at gableheads of cottage) with thin ashlar neck cope and only one can surviving (originally paired cans to each stack)

INTERIOR: cottage still in use as residential accommodation (for brewer) with timber doors and skirting boards; interior of cart shed and store still remaining as was with plain stone walls.

Statement of Interest

A-Group with Traquair House, Exedra, Bridge on East Drive, East Lodge, Walled Garden, Office, Craft Workshops, Summerhouse, Garden Cottage, Bear Gates and Avenuehead Cottages. The walled garden and former gardeners' cottages were added during the tenure of the Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Traquair. He was a Jacobite and was imprisoned in the tower following the 1745 uprising. He was released in 1748 and undertook substantial improvements on the Estate. He redecorated the main House and was responsible for the construction of many of the small estate buildings adjacent to the garden, as well as the lodges flanking the bear gates. He was also Factor of Traquair Estate during the latter years of his father, the 4th Earl's life and may have commissioned some of the work that was done in the earlier period. The garden was constructed to the south of the formal drive and was well used and had already been remodelled by the beginning of the 19th century. It is not known what originally stood on this site but a tree nursery was recorded at Traquair in 1709 and due to the nature of the site, this may have been where it was sited. The garden is walled on only 3 sides, the SE side being bounded by a beech hedge. Formerly a walk ran SE towards Hollilee Park, and it was here that the summerhouse (listed separately) was originally sited. The garden remained in estate use until 1938; in 1939 it was let as a market garden which ran successfully until the 1950's where upon it was grassed. It is now open to the public with this former Gardener?s Cottage now in use as the Brewer?s private house (Traquair House has its own successful brewery). It is partially sited in the walled garden so the gardener would have been able to keep watch over the stock of fruit and vegetables as well as being accessible from the courtyard of buildings. It retains its original cottage look, even though it has been extended (internally) to utilise part of adjacent store. This building is listed due to its important role as an integral part of the development of Traquair Estate.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17849421

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)
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  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
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  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock