Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

SWINTON HOUSE, WALLED GARDEN INCLUDING GATEPIERS, GATES, GREENHOUSE, GARDENER'S COTTAGE AND ANCILLARY STRUCTURELB45761

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
B
Date Added
25/09/1998
Local Authority
Scottish Borders
Planning Authority
Scottish Borders
Parish
Swinton
NGR
NT 81848 47022
Coordinates
381848, 647022

Description

WALLED GARDEN: Earlier 19th century with later alterations. Near rectangular-plan, tiered walled garden (approximately 10,000m2) with central axis aligned upon SE front of house; subdivided horizontally with central sandstone stair accessing upper terrace. Predominantly rubble-coped, rubble walls enclosing site; some red brick linings (heavily rendered in part); some squared coping. Various decorative details including pointed arched opening in W wall (blocked).

GATEPIERS AND GATES: square-plan, rusticated sandstone ashlar piers flanking entrance centred in S wall; ball finialed, corniced caps; gates missing. Square-plan tooled sandstone piers aligned to S (enclosing outer court) with ball finialed, pyramidal caps; decorative wrought-iron gates.

GREENHOUSE: timber-framed range set to SE with 10-bay, rectangular-plan wing adjoining taller, near square-plan block. Brick base course; plate glass panels (missing/broken in part); decorative iron ridge detailing; decorative iron finials. INTERIOR: central walkway with flanking beds; some original workbenches; decorative iron brackets; iron cogs and levers to open ridge vents in place.

GARDENER?S COTTAGE: single storey with attic, 4-bay former gardener?s cottage adjoining outer face of E wall. Sandstone rubble (whinstone in part); tooled sandstone dressings. Prominently castellated gableheads; rendered margins; projecting cills. SE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: boarded timber door centred at ground; letterbox fanlight. Single window at ground in bay to outer left; box dormer aligned above. Single windows at ground in remaining 2 bays to right; box dormer centred above. SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: pointed-arched windows centred at both floors. NW (REAR) ELEVATION: various openings in lean-to addition. NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: pointed-arched window centred at upper floor. 12 pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to front; Y-traceried glazing in timber sash and case windows to sides; 4-pane timber attic lights; modern windows at rear. Grey slate roof; coped apex stacks; brick ridge stack; various cans. INTERIOR: refurbished 1998.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE: single storey outbuilding (byre?) adjoining S wall at W corner. Heavily pointed sandstone rubble; some red brick dressings. Prominently castellated gableheads (roof lowered). SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: boarded timber stable door off-set to left of centre; single window in bay to right. SE (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-pane window centred at ground; blocked, pointed arched opening aligned above. NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: blocked opening centred at ground (red brick voussoir arch); carved sandstone tablet above (Swinton family coat-of-arms?); blocked, pointed-arched opening aligned above. NE (SIDE) ELEVATION: boarded timber door in bay to outer left; lean-to addition obscuring remaining bays to right. Grey slate roof. INTERIOR: whitewashed rubble; blocked opening to NW.

Statement of Special Interest

B Group with Swinton House, the Quadrant Walls, Railings, Piers, Gatepiers & Gates at the East and North Lodges, the Stables and East Lodge (see separate list entries). An impressive walled garden set to the rear of Swinton House - the central walkway being aligned upon its bowed rear elevation.

References

Bibliography

Thomson map, 1821 (not evident). Sharp, Greenwood & Fowler map, 1826 (walled garden evident). F H Groome ORDNANCE GAZETTEER (1885) p424. NMRS photographic records.

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.

Images

There are no images available for this record, you may want to check trove.scot for images relating to SWINTON HOUSE, WALLED GARDEN INCLUDING GATEPIERS, GATES, GREENHOUSE, GARDENER'S COTTAGE AND ANCILLARY STRUCTURE

There are no images available for this record.

Search trove.scot

Printed: 25/07/2025 03:40