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Summary

Description

House: Earlier to mid 19th century restrained and simple former inn/post office formerly serving the Blair Adam Estate (now currently used as a farm house, 2004). Attention to detail of certain features raise it above the ordinary demonstrating a degree of sophistication and elegance including; symmetrical coursed ashlar principal elevation, picturesque timber Doric columned porch, segmentally headed openings to principal windows and bulls eye windows to gables. Single storey and attic; possibly originally T-plan, however gabled wings to far NW probably added later creating an overall rectangular-plan.

Side and rear elevations finished with snecked rubble, dressed openings and quoins to all. Render below eaves of principal elevation suggesting perhaps house once framed by overhanging eaves which were subsequently cut down. Pitched slate roofs with cast iron rainwater goods. Squat polygonal ashlar corniced stacks with circular cans.

Steading: U-plan steading to N with cartshed to NE, adjoined wall stretching up W to roadside; snecked rubble with dressed openings and quoins. 2 openings to cart shed, that to right set close to advanced left wing of main block. Later brick and stone forestairs blocking cart arch to inner face of left gable. Various openings to inner face of main block (some latterly inserted), cart arch to far right partly obscured by advanced right wing; bulls eye window set within gable. Few openings to rear of steading. Small single storey outshot located to rear (possibly housed water powered machinery as small burn runs underneath, nothing in interior remaining, 2004). Pitched slated roofs, poor condition in some areas, 2004. Probably later 19th century rectangular-plan, 2-storey building (possibly former granary) with smaller single storey and attic addition located to SE of steading;

snecked rubble with dressed margins and quoins. Corrugated asbestos roof to 2-storey block, grey slates to single storey section. Adjoined rendered stone and brick covered cattle court (not listed) to rear.

Gate Piers and Boundary Walls: low square-plan coursed ashlar gatepiers with squat pyramidal caps at SW roadside, snecked rubble wall adjoined to left. Stretch of wall to S corner of complex enclosing lower field and outbuildings; coped random rubble, swept at corner.

Bridge carrying farm track over Kinnaird Burn: Grid ref NT 14360 95879 - simple single span random rubble 19th century bridge with coped parapet.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group with Blair Adam House and other Blair Adam Estate associated ancillary buildings (see separate listings). The farm is of both architectural and historical special interest. It is shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map as Blair Adam Inn and Post Office with the National Census documenting that a James Stewart was the head inn keeper in 1841. Strategically situated beside The Great North Road in order to take full advantage of the passing traffic, it is of interest to note that the lay-by opposite the farm is marked on historical maps as having a water trough, (the trough no longer survives, 2004). The old metal angle bracket which would have held the sign still remains to the S corner (the sign no longer survives, 2004). There is a small formal lawned area to the SE of the house bordered by a retaining wall. The steading would have primarily served as a livery, however it is probable that farming was practised alongside this. The steading was re-organised some time in the later 19th century probably to take account of the decrease in stage-coach traffic and concentrating more on farming. This re-organisation is not only obvious from the Ordnance Survey maps but also from looking at the steading, the large gabled wings could be later additions as the right gable rather awkwardly squeezes a cart arch, and the left gable too sits very close to a cart arch, not a particularly satisfactory arrangement. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map shows the adjacent land to the N and E of the farm to be heavily forested, much of this does not survive as this swathe of land was given over to open mining in the 20th century.

References

Bibliography

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