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Summary

Description

1900. Courtyard-plan steading comprising detached single storey shed to far N; single storey byre and former wash-house range to N; threshing barn to W range; former granary, barn, cartshed and bothy to 2-storey S range and detached former stables to E. Coursed sandstone, loosely stugged openings.

N RANGE

S ELEVATION: former wash-house to far right; door to right; window to left flank. Series of windows and 2 doors to central byre. Separate section to far left (raised roof line); large central door opening. E ELEVATION: central window; gable apex stack; tapered coping above band course; circular can. N ELEVATION: numerous ventilation holes to byre. Blocked opening to separate section to right. Asymmetrical gable end to far right byre/stable; central window. Timber boarded doors; some 16-pane windows. Roof lights to front and rear; pitched roofs; stone slates; ridge ventilation.

W RANGE

E ELEVATION: central door; window to left flank to byre/stable to far right. Threshing barn to left; timber boarded doors to ground floor. Pedimented loft opening to left; '1900' datestone in pediment. Pitched roof; stone slates; rooflights. Raised roof to barn. Ridge ventilation to right byre/stable.

S RANGE

N ELEVATION: window to far right; door to left flank. Central door with flanking windows to left; 6 granary loft openings above. Large inserted doorway to left (former cartshed); timber sliding door; window to left flank. E ELEVATION: 2 inserted doorways to gable; central 16-pane 1st floor window to former bothy. S ELEVATION: Ground level slopes down to S making ground floor openings appear at 1st floor height. Former bothy at 1st floor to far right; ground floor and 1st floor catslide dormer window to left. 5 ground floor windows to barn and 5 granary loft openings symmetrically arranged to left. Raggles of former building to barn. Asymmetrical gable end of threshing barn to far left; central ground floor door; central 16-pane 1st floor window. Timber plank doors; timber loft shutters. Pitched roofs; ridge ventilation to granary. Ridge stack to bothy; tapered coping above band course.

STABLES

E ELEVATION: door to far left; large door opening to right; sliding door. S & N ELEVATIONS: plain gables. W ELEVATION: 2 doors to left; 16-pane window to right. Timber plank doors. Pitched stone slate roof; rooflights to N; ridge ventilation to N. Gable apex stack to S; tapered coping above band course. Loft above stables; some timber stalls remain.

SHED

S ELEVATION: 4 regularly spaced windows; 2 central windows lowered below glazing (12-pane timber windows). E ELEVATION: altered gable wall; corbelled skewputts; replacement sliding doors. N ELEVATION: plain elevation. W ELEVATION: central door. Pitched roof; stone slates; 2 roof lights to rear. Ridge flue.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group with Melsetter Farmhouse. The nearby farmhouse is built in the style of W R Lethaby, the prominent promoter of the Arts and Crafts movement. Some of Lethaby's designs have been loosely applied to the steading, namely the chimney stacks with tapered coping above the band course and windows which hug eaves. These can also be found on other Melsetter Estate buildings that Lethaby worked on. The Melsetter Estate was purchased by Thomas Middlemore, a Birmingham industrialist in 1898. At that time it comprised the entire island of Hoy as well as the adjacent smaller islands of South Walls, Fara and Rysa. It had been the home of the Moodie family from the later 16th century until around the earlier 19th century. Lethaby was commissioned by Middlemore to remodel Melsetter House and the nearby steading. The majority of the remaining structures, dating largely from the Moodie ownership, were retained in some way by Lethaby (including the house), although greatly modified. This steading replaces the original steading, built around a courtyard to the NW of the main house, which was converted to housing by Lethaby. Melsetter Farmhouse and Steading are not shown on the 1903 2nd Edition OS map (surveyed 1900).

References

Bibliography

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