Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Circa 1855 with late 19th century additions and earlier range to E (see Notes). U-plan, piend-roofed, improvement farm-steading comprising central 2-storey threshing barn with slit windows, and flanking single storey wings containing stables, byres and former boiler house with raised slated vents to roof ridge; earlier buildings adjoining at right-angles to E; farmhouse, well and later cartshed to S; later byre to SE. Squared sandstone with tooled ashlar dressings. Graded grey slate.

U-PLAN STEADING RANGES: 2-storey barn in long centre range, with large sliding timber-boarded door to right; slit windows to both floors; door to left with flanking square windows and square door to hayloft above. Rear (N) elevation with slit windows, winnowing door and 3 small later square windows to right; late 19th century extension to left. W wing formerly contained loose boxes: 4 doors and wider opening to right; former boiler house to left with coped ashlar ridge stack above. Various windows to rear (W), some later. E wing, formerly byre: irregular arrangement of doors and windows to W. Rear (E) elevation with slit windows and central timber-boarded door. INTERIOR: threshing room with flagged floor and 1916 threshing machine; some loose boxes and feeding troughs remain in W wing.

E RANGE: long single storey range composed of earlier adjoining buildings, stepped downhill. 6 timber boarded doors, some later. Former farmhouse to left with chimney stack; cow byre to centre with Victorian timber partitions and feed troughs; pigsty to right.

FARMHOUSE: single storey and attic, 3-bay, L-plan cottage with advanced bay in re-entrant angle (heightened 1913). Broad M-gable to S and deep bargboarded eaves. Main entrance to S with later door, stop-chamfered ashlar architrave, and border-glazed fanlight; late 19th century timber porch. Regular fenestration to M-gables, irregular fenestration elsewhere. Corniced wallhead stacks. Graded grey slate. Non-traditional uPVC windows replacing timber sash and case windows. INTERIOR: staircase with mahogany rail; timber shutters in sitting room; plain cornices to principal rooms.

WELL: Victorian lining wall; circa 2000 drystone parapet with flat coping.

CARTSHED: later 19th century. 4-bay piend-roofed cartshed with 3 monolithic red sandstone columns dividing bays.

BYRE: later 19th century. Ruinous gabled byre, partially roofed (2003).

Statement of Special Interest

The principal focus of this listing is on the farm steading, including the range of older buildings to the east. The farm used to belong to the Buccleuch estate, and was built as part of a programme of agricultural improvements in the mid nineteenth century. The U-plan ranges form a good example of an improvement hill farm, and are distinguished by being relatively little-altered. The main alteration seems to have been the eastwards extension of the threshing barn, which originally only joined the east wing at the corner. The remains of the old horse mill for the original threshing machine is visible as a slight hump on the ground to the north of the threshing barn, and a hole at the bottom of the wall, to the left of the winnowing door, marks where the machinery went into the building. The horse mill was probably not very substantial, as it does not show up on either the 1st or 2nd edition OS maps. The current owner (2003) went over the ground with a metal detector to search for remains of its machinery, but found nothing. Remains of machinery from a later tractor or engine-driven threshing mill still hang from the wall to the left of the winnowing door.

Before the mid nineteenth century improvements, Upper Millsteads is believed to have been a hill outpost for Lower Millsteads farm. The range to the East of the steading were the buildings for this farm, and the building at the left (W) end of this range is believed to be the original farmhouse. Over Millsteads and Nether Millsteads are marked on William Crawford?s 1804 ?Map of Dumfriesshire?.

The farmhouse is very similar to other farm cottages in the area on the Buccleuch estate, and the plan, which is relatively deep, corresponds to the plan of Buccleuch farm cottages near Drumlanrig. The farm and steading may have been built from a design by the Dumfries architect, Walter Newall, who was the architect to the Buccleuch estate (although no direct evidence has been found to link him with Upper Millsteads). The North wing of the house has been heightened slightly, probably in the late nineteenth century at the same time that the cart shed to the East of the house was built. The brick extension in the re-entrant angle was done in 1913.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.