Description

Later-late 18th century; extended early-earlier 19th century; with later alterations. 2-storey (with basement to original section); U-plan house (subdivided); with single storey N wing. Doric columns to main entrance to principal (W) elevation to original block; stairtower to rear (E). Harled with painted ashlar dressings (droved except for those to original section and rear of main block). Base course and eaves course except to original section; vertical margins at arrises. Architraved openings (except to original section, where some architraved). Coped gables (beaked skewputts to original section).

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 9-bay. 3-bay original section to left. Steps up to entrance to right of centre; early/earlier 19th century architrave and flanking attached Doric columns supporting entablature; replacement panelled timber door with rectangular fanlight. Symmetrical fenestration; window above entrance and one to each floor to flanking bays (architraved apart from those to left bay). Later addition grouped into 2 symmetrical regularly-fenestrated 3-bay sections. That to centre has full floor-height windows to 1st floor. That to right has entrance to left bay; replacement part-glazed timber door with rectangular fanlight.

E ELEVATION: main block set back to centre. Single bay of original section visible to right; window to each floor (tall lower one probably inserted). Tall semicircular-plan stairtower (obscured at lower level by single storey extension) to right; window at apex and one at lower level to right return; 2 windows set back to outer right of 1st floor. Later addition to left. Later 20th century single storey lean-to addition with entrance to centre. Flanking windows set back (that to right has been infilled). 2 windows to 1st floor; small circular panel in between; small window to outer left. Wing gable ends project to either side. Eaves band continues across gable to that to left. Regularly disposed windows; 2 to each floor. Regular fenestration to 3-bay right return; window to left of 1st floor infilled; that to centre of ground floor narrow with entrance to left (replacement part-glazed timber door); mullioned bipartite to right. Small later 20th century flat-roofed addition with entrance projects to gable end of single storey wing to right. Pair of inserted windows to left return; entrance (with replacement panelled timber door to outer left).

N ELEVATION: gable end of original section to right. 3 windows to basement. Pair of outer flanking windows to ground floor. Single storey wing adjoins to left. Entrance with late 20th century part-glazed porch to right; replacement part-glazed timber door with rectangular fanlight. 3 irregularly disposed windows to left.

S ELEVATION: 4-bay. Regular fenestration to outer flanking bays. Window to 1st floor only to that to left of centre. Later lean-to with catslide roof and painted margins and window surrounds added to right; round-arched stair window to centre; small window below to right; architraved entrance with cornice and timber door to right return; small window above.

Various replacement windows; mainly 2-pane timber sash and case or fixed frame with top hopper. Grey slate roof. Gablehead stacks with band courses to either side of original section; truncated gablehead stack to single storey wing; ridge stack with band course to main block; all harled. Pair of coped finely coursed sandstone ridge stacks to S wing (one at gablehead); round cans.

INTERIOR: only partially inspected (1999). Largely altered and

modernised.

Statement of Interest

A much altered and extended 18th century house. The tall stairtower to the original block indicates a tenement arrangement. It may have been built and extended to house workers at the nearby bleachfields and (slightly later) spinning mill. Brucefield Mill was built in 1792 and ceased spinning in 1825 when it was partially burnt down. It was subsequently partially used for bleaching and was finally demolished in 1850. According to the Census returns for 1841 and 1851, Brucefield House appears to have been occupied by Alexander Struthers, who had become the proprietor of the mill in the early 19th century. In 1841 it was also occupied by 2 'linen bleachers'. By 1851 there is no mention of bleach workers and Struthers is described as a 'landed proprietor'. On the 1856 Ordnance Survey map it is shown in close vicinity to both farming (a threshing mill) and bleaching (a drying green) activities. The estate was bought by Erskine Beveridge in 1853, who established the St Leonard's Works to the W (on Bothwell Street) around that time.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q78530983

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)