Former Creamery, Killylung, Holywood, Dumfries and Galloway

Description

A former creamery and associated house (likely a manager's house or estate office), built in 1922 as part of the Cowhill Estate and designed by John McLintock Bowie of Barbour and Bowie. Both buildings are designed in an Arts and Crafts style, but also shows the stripped back architectural style of the interwar period. They are built of red brick with rendered and painted white walls and exposed red brick details that include base courses, eaves courses and margins. The creamery is L-shaped on plan, comprising a two-storey wing with a single storey range to the north. The adjacent two-storey house is five bays, with an off-centre advanced gabled entrance. The buildings are located in a rural area of Dumfriesshire, to the north of the village of Holywood and form part of the lands of Cowhill Estate. They are sited on a rural road at the edge of a small farm (Killylung).

The principal (east) elevation of the former creamery comprises a two-storey entrance at the south end, recessed behind a segmental-headed opening with two large windows above. This is flanked by two advancing towers, with narrow slit windows and parapets breaking through the eaves. The south and centre of the main elevation are on a raised platform, accessed via steps to the north and south. The south elevation has multiple bays, with projecting brick piers defining each bay. The two end bays are advanced, with a single-storey lean-to extension between that has painted brick walls, a corrugated metal roof and large window openings. The end bays have three smaller windows at ground floor, and the east end bay is gabled with a round arched window to the upper floor. The rear (west) elevation is two-bays and is gabled with a large sliding door and projecting red brick piers breaking through the eaves. The north elevation has multiple bays, with projecting brick piers defining each bay and larger windows on the ground floor.

The single-storey wing extends north and forms part of the main (east) elevation. It has multiple bays with a recessed section to the south end, supported by a brick column. There are a variety of window and door openings, including a later garage door and shopfront-style window to the north end. A later mono-pitched addition abuts the north gable. The rear (west) elevation is nine-bays, with evenly spaced window openings and a single door opening.

The slate roofs are largely piended or pitched with a swept profile. The roof over the entrance bay is pyramidal, with a catslide extending between the two towers of the main entrance. There are flat red sandstone copings, skews and skew putts to the parapets and gables. There is a single red brick chimney to the north end of the single-storey block, with a recessed painted and rendered base course. The walls have a red brick base course extending to cill level and the openings have plain surrounds with rounded brick cills. The windows are largely metal-framed, multi-paned fixed lights, with some casements. There is a mix of window sizes but the largest (36-pane) windows are concentrated on the ground floor of the two-storey wing and above the main entrance (30-pane). The single-storey wing also has a mix of window sizes, including six 15-pane lights to the rear (west) elevation.

We have not seen the interior of the creamery but images available online (2022) show the two-storey block retains its original open plan form, with exposed metal roof beams, original glazed tiles to the lower walls and exposed (some painted) brick detailing around the window and door openings.

The principal (west) elevation of the former manager's house (now Killylung House) has an off-centre, gabled entrance bay breaking the eaves, with red brick piers and red sandstone skews. There are terracotta tiled canopies over the central openings and the upper window is set in a round-headed surround, decorated with terracotta tiles laid in a herringbone pattern. A red sandstone panel to the centre has modern metal nameplate: 'KILLYLUNG'. The remaining windows are symmetrically placed, except for a single oval window to the right. The north elevation is three bays and largely symmetrical, with windows framing an off-centre timber and glass door. The rear (east) elevation is five bays with a small brick and slate lean-to addition to the left-of-centre (added after 1965), with a timber door accessed via sunken steps and a blocked window to the left cheek. The windows are generally symmetrically spaced, with a stair window above the lean-to. The south elevation is two bays with a modern flue below first floor level.

The roof is piended and slated with a modern metal flue breaking the ridge line. The gabled entrance is pitched and slated with flat red sandstone skews and skewputts. The walls match those of the creamery building and the openings have red brick surrounds and round cills. The windows are 12 pane timber sash and cases, with a two-pane casement in the oval window. The main door is a two-leaf timber panel door with a four-pane transom light above, featuring cross-motifs.

We saw the interior of the house in 2021. The layout appears to have remained relatively unchanged, with principal rooms accessed from the central hall and stair, leading to some interconnected rooms. There is also a vaulted gun store on the ground floor with an original metal security door. The interior is plain throughout and the decorative scheme largely dates from the 21^st century. There is a simple picture rail in most rooms and the curved stair has metal balusters and a timber handrail.

To the north of the creamery building is a small red brick flat-roofed plant room, with an access ladder leading below ground level. There are a number of concrete footings remaining to the rear of the creamery.

Historical development

The former Killylung Creamery and Manager's House were built as part of the Cowhill Estate improvements in 1922. During a visit to the estate on 30th June 1922, by the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture (Scotsman), it was reported that it had undergone significant improvement works, including upgrading and modernising the farm steadings and the addition of 11 new farm cottages to the estate. It was also noted that '…an extensive creamery and piggery is in course of erection near Holywood Station…' with the intention being that all milk from the estate could then be processed into cheese at this centre and by-product used for fattening the pigs of the nearby piggery (Scotsman, 30 June 1922).

The creamery is first shown on the Ordnance Survey 'Popular Edition' map (revised 1922, published 1925), as an L-plan building. The house is not shown on this map, and it is likely the creamery was built first, shortly followed by the house. The house was built by 1923, as the door to the gun store retains a sign stating: 'Entered into occupation of this office from Muirside on Monday 4^th June 1923'.

In 1926 the creamery was visited by former students of the North of Scotland College of Agriculture, who were touring Dumfriesshire. The visit was described in the Aberdeen Press and Journal (25 June 1926), which noted that '…a large creamery on the estate is run in conjunction with a herd of Ayrshire cattle, and pig-rearing and fattening is carried on.'

By 1929 the creamery was tenanted by United Dairies (Ltd), as confirmed at the annual sitting of Dumfriesshire Valuation Appeal Court (Scotsman, 12 September 1929). By 1930 the creamery was run by United Dairies (Scotland) Limited and was placed third in the Factory Cheese category in the Ayrshire Agricultural Association Show (Scotsman, 24 October 1930). The creamery is mentioned in a variety of other newspaper articles through to the 1950's, known initially as Cowhill Creamery and then Holywood Creamery.

It's unclear when the creamery closed, but it appears to have been in operation as part of United Dairies (Scotland) Limited until at least the mid-1950s. In a 1954 newspaper article about the proposed buyout of Scottish Farmers Corporation Ltd., of which United Dairies (Scotland) Ltd. was a subsidiary, the business is described as operating a '…substantial retail and wholesale milk distribution business… in Glasgow and a small country creamery in Dumfriesshire.' (Birmingham Daily Post, 30 July 1954).

The Ordnance Survey National Grid map, (revised 1965, published 1966) is the first detailed map showing the buildings as they are today, and shows that the lean-to addition to the north gable of the creamery and the detached single-storey plant building to the north, both pre-date 1965. The lean-to at the rear of the manager's house is not shown on this map and was thought to have been added at a later date.

The house acted as the estate office until recent years. The building has since been refurbished and is now a dwelling house. The creamery building is currently partly used as a workshop and partly un-occupied. Part of the roof of the building has been replaced/re-slated in the early 21^st century, and around this time, a small piended dormer window in the roof of the principal (east) elevation was removed.

Statement of Interest

The former Killylung Creamery and Manager's House meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

It is a little altered example of an early 20th century creamery building and ancillary that retains much of its historic character and plan form.

The design is unusual for an early 20^th century creamery and shows features of definite architectural quality.

It was built as part of an estate, which is unusual for a creamery of this date, and this is reflected in its design, which is more in keeping with the architecture of the Cowhill Estate.

It is a rare surviving example of the building type, as many creamery buildings have been demolished or substantially altered or are plainer industrial-style buildings with little architectural interest.

The buildings retain their historic setting, forming a good grouping with each other, and the nearby railway and farm, contributing to our understanding of estate development in the 20^th century.

For what they tell us about the development of this agricultural industry and the importance of the milk sector in the early 20^th century, particularly in the southwest of Scotland.

Architectural interest

Design

Killylung Creamery displays features of definite architectural quality that set it apart from other surviving creameries in Scotland, which tend to be more industrial in their design and have little or no distinguishing architectural features. For example, when Kirkcudbright Creamery (now demolished) opened in 1921, it was described as having '… been designed chiefly with a view to economical working, and although on strictly utilitarian lines with no extraneous ornamentation, in (sic) eminently expressive of its purpose.' (Kirkcudbright Advertiser).

The entrance to Killylung, with its flanking towers and recessed arched doorway is of particular note and both buildings show a high level of stripped-back, traditional style detailing and materials throughout. The degree of design quality is unusual for a creamery, giving it a sense of grandeur.

The design of Killylung is unusual compared with the majority of other creameries that were built during the Interwar period, such as those in Mauchline and Kirkudbright (both of which are now fully or partially demolished). These favoured the clean lines, white walls and lack of traditional detailing characteristic of the modern style that was developing during this period. The design of Killylung shows some modernist elements but it is more in keeping with the ornate estate-related architecture seen in some dairy buildings on home farms of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, such as The Coo Palace (formerly Corseyard Farm LB3381) and Rosehaugh House Dairy (LB374). Its design is similar to Ballochmyle Creamery in East Ayrshire (LB14492), which largely dates from 1911.

The Creamery and former Manager's House form a good grouping that is largely cohesive in terms of design features and materials. The buildings are not intervisible with the other main buildings of the Cowhill Estate but there are elements that reflect some of the features on other estate buildings. The red brick detailing with white painted roughcast walls, can be seen in a number of other ancillaries on the estate, including cottages on the nearby Rosehill and Bellfield Farms. The use of segmental-headed arches and gabled towers emulates those of the former stables (LB10198), which is dated 1816 but was altered in 1915. The creamery buildings have stripped back versions of traditional features, reflecting those of the baronial revival tower house addition to Cowhill House, 1914 by Peddie and Forbes Smith (LB10196).

The overall scale and level of architectural detailing is unusual for a creamery of this period and reflects the fact that it was built as part of an estate. Its design of special interest in terms of listing.

The creamery buildings were designed by the architect John M Bowie of the practice Barbour and Bowie. He first joined James Barbour as his assistant in 1896 and was then in practice with him by 1902. The firm mainly operated in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire with a varied body of work including, churches, large houses and public buildings and housing. The practice had worked previously on general improvement works to the Cowhill Estate, which involved alterations to the main house and new estate buildings including the piggery and farm cottages.

The plan form of both buildings appears relatively unaltered from when they were built, with the main elevations facing each other across an open courtyard (that also acts as a through-road). Creamery buildings can take a variety of plan forms, but most have a large open plan element, which is retained to the rear. The house also retains its early layout, with a central hall and stair, with principal rooms on either side, interconnecting to secondary rooms. The layout, combined with the retention of a vaulted gun store, indicates that the building may have originally been used as an office on ground floor and living accommodation above.

We have not seen the interior of the creamery, but we understand from images available online (2022), that the large open plan room to the rear is retained. This would have housed machinery required for processing the milk into cheese, but none of this equipment now remains. This open plan space is plain and is lit by large windows that were designed to allow plenty of natural light and ventilation into the workspace. The interior is typical of creameries from this period and retains much of its historic character, except for the addition of some later ventilation ducts. The original glazed tiles and decorative trim remain to the lower walls, demonstrating its original use as a place where milk-based products were processed for human consumption.

We saw the interior of the managers house (2021). Although it is relatively plain with limited decorative features, this is not unusual for an early 20^th century dwelling.

Individually the buildings have remained largely unaltered, with much of their historic character retained. Together they form a good grouping and clearly evidence their former function as a creamery and its ancillary.

Setting

The two buildings form a functionally related group and situated directly opposite one another. They are located in a rural setting, on a minor dead-end road north of Dumfries.

They form part of a wider group of ancillary structures associated with the Cowhill Estate. Cowhill House and gardens lie to the north (see listed building LB10196 and Garden and Designed Landscape GDL00109), which was built in the late 18th century, with later 19th and 20th century additions and alterations. Other elements of the estate include a stable block (see listed building LB10198) and gate lodges (LB10197), as well as several unlisted farm steadings and farm cottages. These include Killylung farm to the immediate north of the creamery buildings, which historically appears to have been used for pig fattening and rearing. It is common for piggeries to be run alongside a creamery, as the whey and wastewater from the cheese making process is used to feed the pigs. The farm appears to have been extended and modernised but some of the earlier buildings shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (surveyed 1855, published 1897), including a 19^th century worker's cottage/s appear to remain. This contributes to the setting of the former creamery buildings.

The site is located near to the Glasgow to Carlisle railway line (via Dumfries), which lies to the immediate west. The former (Holywood) station and goods yard are now demolished (closed to goods in 1964) but the line and signal box remain active. The close proximity is of special interest, as the rail network was used to transport milk and dairy products across the country and enabled the expansion of this agricultural business in the late 19^th and early 20^th century.

The loss of the train station has had some impact on the wider setting of the creamery buildings, but overall, the character of the rural setting remains largely unaltered and is of special interest. The buildings maintain a visual connection with other structures that were once functionally related to the creamery, (the railway line, signal box and former piggery), which aids our understanding of the historic relationship between this group. Together the buildings also form part of a larger group of ancillary structures relating to the Cowhill Estate, which informs us about how the estate functioned in the early to mid 20^th century.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

Creameries and their associated buildings are not a prolific building type. Those that are early or notable examples and retain much of their historic character, may be of interest for listing.

The late 19^th century saw a change in how milk was processed and sold. Prior to this the sale of liquid milk was generally confined to the areas surrounding the farm but it could also be processed into longer lasting products like cream and cheese. This was done on the farm, usually in the farmhouse or steading buildings. Towards the end of the 19^th century, improved transportation links meant that more and more milk could be taken to central locations for processing and wider distribution. This period of industrialisation saw the beginning of cooperation within the dairy sector, leading to the creation of larger-scale, commercial facilities. A number of these new creameries were funded by joint ventures. As a result of this expansion, the commercial farm-based production of cheese and butter declined almost entirely (Shaw J. 2003: p.473).

The early creameries of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries were sometimes established in pre-existing buildings, such as mills, but the majority were purpose-built. These buildings were often very plain and functional in their design, with little or no architectural quality or detailing. The creamery at Killylung was built during the interwar period, when fluctuations in the price of milk were caused by increased competition between the cooperatives and imports. As a result of this uncertainty, the Scottish Milk Marketing Board was established in 1933 and a programme of building new creameries followed. These were often designed in the Internationalist style that was prevalent during this period.

Creameries can be found across Scotland but they were predominantly concentrated in the traditional dairy farming areas of the southwest lowlands, in the Ayrshires and in Dumfries and Galloway. Around 54 creameries are known to have been built in Scotland, including some that were used as ice cream, condensed milk and margarine factories. Approximately 33 of these have now been largely or completely demolished (Canmore). Many of the surviving examples have been substantially altered, extended and/or modernised, with only a few now remaining in use as creameries.

Only two creameries are known to be designated as listed buildings in Scotland and both are located in East Ayrshire. Waterside Creamery (see listed building LB12376) was originally built in 1784 as a carding mill and was later converted for use as a creamery. Ballochmyle Creamery (see listed building LB14492) incorporates an older mill building but it was largely rebuilt and expanded in 1911 as a creamery and margarine factory. Pioneering work in the development of margarine was carried out at Ballochmyle and there is also a Manager's House on site which is also listed (see listed building LB14493).

The earliest surviving examples of purpose-built creameries in Scotland date from the late 19th century. Killylung Creamery and the associated Manager's House date from 1922 and are not considered to be early examples of the building type. However, Killylung is unusual as it was built by an estate during a time of instability, when most creameries were being built by co-operatives or large companies.

Surviving creamery buildings are rare building, and many of those that remain have been substantially altered or extended. Killylung is of special interest under this heading as it is an unusual and notable example for its date and survives with much of its early character and setting intact.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

The southwest of Scotland is a rich agricultural area suited to dairy farming and remains the largest area used for the dairy industry in Scotland. Buildings associated with agriculture, and the dairy sector in particular, are an important part of the area's social history. The survival of the creamery buildings is of significant social historical interest for what it can tell us about the development of agriculture and the dairy industry in the southwest.

A creamery is not a component that is commonly found as part of a country estate, although ornamental dairies on home farms and model dairies can be found on some estates. The survival of the former creamery at Killylung contributes to our understanding of how country estates operated in the early 20^th century, particularly as improvements were made and steps taken to try to diversify or create new sources of income.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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.