Green Farm Steading, Broughton, South Range, Biggar, Tweeddale West, Scottish Borders

Description

Green Farm Steading is an early 19th century former steading with some later 20th century alterations to form residential accommodation to the northern half. The building comprises a single storey U-plan former steading with a slightly lower small enclosing return at the southeast corner and a small piended roof garage section attached to the south range. The L-plan section of the north and east ranges has been converted to residential accommodation. The residential elevations to the courtyard have large expanses of windows that are likely to have been formed by the infilling of open doorways. Some of the openings on its outer east facing elevation are later. The southern range remains as a store and has a large opening to the courtyard with a timber boarded sliding door on metal runners. The outer south and west facing elevations are largely solid stone with a single small window and door on the south elevation.

The building is constructed in painted rubble stonework with some brick and render to later alterations and openings. The roofs are slated and the section to the residential part has replacement slates. The east and south pitches of the southern range have small graduated slates that may be contemporary to the build date. The majority of the windows are later 20th century in timber frames. There is a small timber 4-pane window in the south elevation.

The interior of the building was partially seen in 2016. The northern section has later 20th century partitions and detailing dating to its change of use to a dwelling. The southern part of the steading is open plan with a plain open timber truss roof with sarking boards and exposed rubble walls. The interiors of the east parts of the south wing, including the small store and attached garage, were not seen (2016).

Statement of Interest

Green Farm Steading is a good survival of a pre-1840 traditionally constructed ancillary building that forms a good grouping with its associated farmhouse directly opposite. While the building has been altered for domestic use, in overall appearance, plan form and scale the building continues to look like an early 19th century steading and coach house. The steading is at the centre of the village of Broughton and this setting is unusual for its building type. The steading and its associated farmhouse have further historical and social interest because of their former use as a rural staging post before the introduction of the railway.

Age and Rarity

Green Farm Steading is believed to date to the late 18th or early 19th century and it first appears in the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1856, published 1859). The footprint of the building in its current form is largely unchanged from that shown on this map, with the exception of the loss of an outshot at the centre of the east elevation of the east range.

The former steading is opposite Broughton Green House (category C, LB51813) which is marked on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map as "Broughton Green Inn". It is described in the Ordnance Survey Name Books as "a commodious building two storeys high with suitable offices attached [and] also a small farm of land". The 'Buildings of Scotland: Borders' book notes that it was also known to have been a farmhouse. In the earlier 19th century it was often the case that farmhouses located on travelling routes were also run as inns, because the size of the house and their ancillary components such as steadings lent themselves well to this use. Broughton Village lies on the historic road route between Edinburgh and Dumfries and Broughton Green House with its associated steading was therefore well placed to act as a coaching inn. A small window survives in its north gable from which approaching coaches could be seen.

It is likely that the use as a coach house diminished when the bulk of rural traffic moved from the roads to the railways in the mid-19th century. Broughton Village Station was built on the Symington, Biggar and Peebles branch line of the Caledonian Railway which was completed in 1860 and which linked Broughton to both Biggar and Peebles, as well as Glasgow, Edinburgh and further afield.

Many steadings were built during the post improvement farming period of the late 18th to early 19th century, and many survive today. This steading is therefore of a fairly common building type in Scotland.

Whilst Green Farm Steading has been altered by its partial conversion to a dwelling, its plan form, roofline, street elevation and setting remain unchanged. The steading is at the centre of a rural village on a prominent corner site and this setting is of particular interest because it is relatively unusual for this building type. The steading has added interest for its dual use as an agricultural steading and a coach house for the coaching inn because it helps us understand the social history of this village in the early 19th century.

Architectural or Historic Interest

Interior

The southern half of the steading is a standard example of simple construction of stone walls and plain timber roof structure. The interior that has been converted to accommodation does not retain any early 19th century fixtures and fittings that relate to its previous agricultural and coaching use.

Plan form

The period of improvement farming from 1760 onwards resulted in a move away from the scattered groups of individual buildings within a farm complex to more formal courtyards plans. The U-plan arrangement of Green Farm Steading follows the improvement farm courtyard steading pattern of this period. The plan form remains almost unchanged from that shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey Map of 1856. Whilst half of the building has been converted to residential use, the late 18th or early 19th century plan form is clearly evident and is of some interest in listing terms.

Technological excellence or innovation, material or design quality

In design and construction Green Farm Steading is a typical example of a former steading building for its age. The south range retains examples of late 18th/early 19th century slating techniques with the south pitch roofed in very small graduating slates.

In its overall appearance and scale the building continues to look like an early 19th century steading and coach house. The roofline of the building is largely unaltered and there are a lack of openings to the street elevation. The change from agricultural to domestic use of the northern part of the building has resulted in a greater degree of change to the fabric of the building in this section. Openings have been added and cart arched openings in the courtyard elevations have been changed to windows.

Setting

The steading is directly opposite the farmhouse (and inn) for which it was built to serve. Steadings are typically built in close proximity to a farmhouse and the survival of both of both of these buildings is important in demonstrating the historical relationship between them.

The steading is a prominent building in the village of Broughton because it is on the corner of a main road junction at the centre of the village and the building is immediately on the road line. The steading and its associated farmhouse are some of the earliest buildings in the village. This village setting is relatively unusual for an agricultural building but is well suited for a building that has an association with travel of the earlier 19th century. Its survival helps us understand the social history of this village in the early 19th century.

Regional variations

There are no known regional variations

Close Historical Associations

There is a close historical association with the Scottish novelist, historian and politician John Buchan, who regularly holidayed in the associated Broughton Green House as a child. Whilst this is of historic interest the association is not directly evidenced in the fabric of the steading and it does not therefore contribute to the interest of the building in listing terms.

Statutory address, category of listing changed from B to C and listed building record revised in 2017. Previously listed as 'Broughton Village, Green Farm Steading (Comprising Offices, Garage and Store)'.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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