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Summary

Description

Burghmuir is a farm steading complex dating from the late 18^th to early 19^th century. The complex includes a threshing mill, a former horsemill, a long east range and a long west range which incorporates a former cottage at its northern end. A single storey and attic, rectangular-plan farmhouse dating to the later 19^th century fronts the road to the north and is attached to the earlier cottage at the west range.

The later 19^th century farmhouse has three evenly spaced windows on its principal north elevation. It is built in stugged and snecked sandstone rubble with rusticated quoins and window margins. It has a timber-bracketed slate roof and has both eaves and gable stone stacks with corniced caps. The windows are replacement uPVC. It is linked at the south to the stone built, slate roofed earlier 19^th century cottage which forms the T-plan of the house. The interior features a timber boarded box bed enclosure in an attic room and a large stone range surround at the ground floor.

A linear-plan, rubble-built west range is attached to the rear (south) of the house and extends further southwards, stepping down in two parts. It has various openings on the east elevation where it faces the courtyard and an arrow slit window on the west elevation. It has a pantile roof with slate easing course and a piended roof to the south end.

A second long linear range forms the east boundary of the site. It has a pantile roof with slate easing course, a stone stack to the north gable and a slate roof section to the south which is partly roofless. The range has an irregular pattern of small window openings to both sides and some evidence of partitions and forges to the interior rooms.

A split level, rubble built, piended roofed former threshing mill building sits on sloping ground to the southwest part of the site. The southernmost rectangular section has a decorative entrance arch to its east elevation and is roofless but complete to wall head. The stone walls of a former horsemill are set to the re-entrant angle and there are gearing holes in the mill wall leading to the former horsemill area.

Some sections of walls of former steadings survive to the southeast of the site.

Historical background

Burghmuir is first named on William Forrest's map of 1818 and the buildings are laid out in detail on the 1^st Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1856, published 1856). By the 2^nd Edition OS map (surveyed 1895, published 1896) the buildings are shown almost in their current form with a few minor additions shown on the later map (surveyed 1913, published 1915).

Statement of Special Interest

Architectural Interest

Design

Burghmuir is a good example of a multi-phase farm steading dating from the late 18^th century and which has some early surviving farm buildings within the group including the byre and mill. The long, low byre and stable ranges are typical of the farm buildings in the Lothians and their current form is largely unchanged. The later 19^th century farmhouse is later than much of the group but retains some picturesque detailing of its period including overhanging eaves and tall shafted chimney stacks.

Setting

The farm is in a prominent roadside position on the A803 to Linlithgow surrounded by large areas of farmland. The site's rural setting is substantially unaltered since the late 19^th century and adds to its interest by helping us to understand its agricultural function.

Historic Interest

Age and rarity

The mill building, which has lost the roof and gearing of its horsemill, is a rare survival within this type of site. The survival of this group of different agricultural buildings in one site is also increasingly rare and contributes to the historic character and significance of the site.

Social historical interest

The late-18^th and early-19^th century was a period of significant improvement in farming practices across Scotland as small-scale subsistence farming gave way to the creation of larger, commercial farming practices. The group of farm buildings and the farmhouse continue to demonstrate changes in farming practice over the 18^th and 19^th centuries including early mechanisation and improvement technology.

Supplementary information in the listed building record was revised in 2023.

References

Bibliography

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