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Summary

Description

For William Chambers, circa 1850. Single storey, rectangular-plan picturesque lodge with piend-roofed canted window, in-filled verandah and later side and rear extensions. Harled construction with painted plain margined window surrounds (some later) and slightly projecting sills. Pagoda-style piended overhanging roof.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: former 3-bay open projecting porch (formerly with barley twist uprights, ashlar balustraded wing walls and central entrance) now in-filled and harled, with plain timber uprights and decorative ogee and turned ball finial bracing near eaves, to 3rd bay, later semi-glazed timber door (4 main panes with margin lights) with 2-pane rectangular fanlight surmounting; long window to left return. Single storey, flat-roofed extension adjoining right return and following line of porch, small window to left and similar window to right return. Further extension to right (see N ELEVATION).

S (ROAD) ELEVATION: wall end with projecting 3-sided canted bay window, modern light to each side, pagoda-style roof surmounting. To right, left return of former verandah with long later window and decorative brace timber work adjoining eaves. Recessed to left, blind right return of rear extension.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: flat-roofed single storey extension (partially concealed by yew tree) concealing original elevation; blind to right return, left return not seen, 2001.

N ELEVATION: formerly wall with central window and wallhead stack, wall now concealed by single storey, square flat-roofed extension, although stack survives.

Original glazing plan now lost, later plate glass windows with top hoppers. Pagoda-style piended slate roof with overhanging splayed and blocked timber eaves, lead ridging and flashings. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Tall coursed ashlar stacks on high plinth bases (one to centre of roofline, other to former N wallhead) both with chamfered angles and projecting moulded neck copes, both with single cans (now modern replacements).

INTERIOR: not seen, 2002; but in residential use.

GATEPIERS, GATES AND RAILINGS: pair of tall square ashlar gatepiers flanking vehicular access: base plinth leading to panelled shafts and projecting neck copes; swept plinths surmounting, supporting ashlar ball and spike finials (some spikes now missing); pair of wrought-iron gates of similar style to railings with ornate attached overthrow surmounting and central floriate roundel. Pair of matching pedestrian gates flanking gates with decorative support panels with intricate acanthus and scroll work in-fill with plain supports to rear. Plain wrought-iron boundary railings with floriate motif decoration (crossed bars and possibly acanthus leaves) to base forming dog bars and scroll work supporting upper of railings with spearhead finials; all inset into low ashlar wall, curved at drive entrance. Further pair of identical gate piers terminating railings to E and W. All railings and gates painted black with gold tops.

Statement of Special Interest

Glenormiston, the mansion that was the principal building on the estate has been demolished. This smaller farmhouse, further up the hill at the rear of the site, has been adapted to form the principal dwelling. Formerly known as 'Wormiston' and plain 'Ormiston', the estate belonged to the seventh Earl of Traquair, whose trustees sold it for £8400 to John Scott, writer to the Signet. Scott improved the land dramatically, extending cultivation and planting larch belts. His heirs sold it in 1805 to William Hunter for £9910 who renamed the estate "Glenormiston". He continued to fashion fields, raise plantations and build the farmsteading and the now demolished mansion. After Hunter's death, the estate was sold for £24,000 to William Steuart who again continued improving the estate, spending £10,000 on works. More land was drained, pavilion wings added to the house and gardens laid out. William Chambers bought the estate in 1846 for £25,500 and created a new entrance to the property with its own lodge. He was a publisher and Lord Provost of Edinburgh. It is sited around 4 1/2 miles from Peebles. He improved the land further and altered the farm steading. He subscribed to new methods in husbandry and had the steading harled and whitewashed. It was regarded as one of the best adapted modern husbandry farms in the county, and to complement it he built a number of labourers cottages. By 1864, the planting on the estate was maturing and it was regarded as "valuable", a sharp comparison to when the area had started as an open hillside labelled the "ten pound land of Ormiston." The retention of good wrought-iron gates and railings is an advantage as most were removed and melted down as part of the War effort. The entire entrance is original from the William Chambers remodelling of the estate and can be seen in an engraving in his 1865 book on Peebleshire. The lodge has undergone alteration during the 20th century. There was formerly an open verandah which has now been in-filled and the barley twist uprights replaced by plain timber supports. A small extension has been added to the right of the verandah but many original features remain including the fine ashlar stacks, which were once found on all the estate buildings. The lodge and gates together still form a picturesque entrance to an estate now without its main house. Listed as a good surviving entrance to a country house estate.

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