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Summary

Description

Mid-19th century and earlier. Single storey and attic, three-bay, rectangular-plan smithy house and detached single storey, three-bay (bays grouped to left), rectangular-plan former smithy. Random rubble, house whitewashed. Reed-thatch roofs with concrete ridge. Thatch restored at dormer windows around 1970, and at smithy in late 20th century.

Smithy Cottage: symmetrical entrance (south) elevation with two-leaf timber door and rustic gabled porch at centre. Windows in flanking bays and two attic windows above with eyelid thatched dormer. Lower single storey bay to left with window. Four-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Coped ashlar and brick chimneystacks.

Former Smithy: south elevation with two boarded timber stable-type doors flanking small bipartite casement window. Projecting chimney breast, battered at base, piercing eaves at right. East gablehead of boarded timber.

Limekiln: sited to northeast of cottage. Small, roughly rectangular-plan, rubble limekiln with opening to south.

Statement of Special Interest

Sited close to the Camserney Mill (see separate listing, LB5734) with surrounding crofts and farms, the distinctively thatched smithy cottage and smithy are rare survivors. The unusual eyelid dormers were probably added during the 19th century. Reminiscent of English vernacular, they are similar to those at the nearby Crachan Cottage (see separate listing, LB5758) and are reflected in James MacLaren's Kirkton Cottages at Fortingall (also listed) of 1889.

The smithy complex appears on the 1859-64 map as an L-plan range with a continuous long south facing block. The cottage and smithy represent the outer buildings of that block and still retain evidence of an intermediate building. The limekiln appears as such on the early map but by 1894 is marked as the 'Old Limekiln'. Evidence of skilled utilisation of the natural water source can be seen here as with a number of other buildings at Camserney. The natural flow of water below the Falls of Camserney is routed off the Camserney Burn above Crachan Farm before rejoining the Burn below the mill.

When listed in 1971 the smithy roof was covered with corrugated iron, and the interior retained two stone built forges, one of which had bellows.

It is among a relatively small number of traditional buildings with a surviving thatched roof found across Scotland. A Survey of Thatched Buildings in Scotland, published in 2016 by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), found there were only around 200 buildings of this type remaining, most of which are found in small rural communities. Thatched buildings are often traditionally built, showing distinctive local and regional building methods and materials. Those that survive are important in helping us understand these traditional skills and an earlier way of life.

Formerly listed as 'Smithy House and Smithy, Croftnamuich, Dr and Mrs A D Dewar and Campbell, Milton of Camserney'. Listed building record revised in 2008.

Listed building record revised in 2019 as part of the Thatched Buildings Listing Review 2017-19.

References

Bibliography

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