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Summary

Description

James Chirnsyde, 1697. Symmetrical 2-storey, 5-bay rectangular-plan house built as coaching inn; situated close to road and opposite Newbattle Abbey entrance gates. Sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings; modern construction to rear.

E (FRONT) ELEVATION: symmetrical 5-bay elevation; central door; oval window above; 2 flanking windows at each floor. Roll-moulded central doorway; 6-panelled door. Small glazed port-hole to left of door.

S ELEVATION: gable recently (1990's) reworked; some replacement quoins and repair work to chimney stack. Raised channelled long and short quoins; moulded stone band course; stone carved with grapes and flowers.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: harled wall; modern, irregular fenestration with concrete surrounds including oval window at upper floor and patio doors at ground floor. Modern conservatory sits above cellar. Stone cellar, an addition to the house with vaulted ceiling and small well; access gained from inside house.

N ELEVATION: harled gable; projecting 3-tiered chimney breast to ingleneuk fireplace. Single window at ground floor to right of chimney.

Fenestration throughout replaced early 1970's. 12-pane sash and case windows to principal elevation apart from horizontally pivoted oval window. 5 rear rooflights. Roof clad in modern concrete pantiles; plain ridge; raised skews. Corniced apex stack; 3 circular clay cans to E elevation; harled corniced apex stack; single clay circular can to N. UPVC and cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: altered interior. Ingleneuk fireplace remains with vousoired arch and keystone (with some replacement stones); reworked stone back to fireplace. Plaque in fireplace bears Lothian sun, crown and crest emblems (found in river nearby and re-sited recently). Central staircase.

Statement of Special Interest

Formerly The Sign of the Sun Inn which took its name from the Lothian family crest The Rising Sun; it was the first staging post for stage coaches from Edinburgh to London; the port-hole was used to take money from late night travellers before they were served. A 17th century shoe was found during renovation in the 1970's. The carved stone on the S gable is similar to one at Newbattle Abbey and may have originated there.

References

Bibliography

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