History in Structure

Fairgirth House

A Category B Listed Building in Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway

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Coordinates

Latitude: 54.8911 / 54°53'27"N

Longitude: -3.7491 / 3°44'56"W

OS Eastings: 287912

OS Northings: 556547

OS Grid: NX879565

Mapcode National: GBR 2C8W.4H

Mapcode Global: WH5XF.CBZ9

Plus Code: 9C6RV7R2+C9

Entry Name: Fairgirth House

Listing Name: Fairgirth House

Listing Date: 4 November 1971

Category: B

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 334829

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB3700

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200334829

Location: Colvend and Southwick

County: Dumfries and Galloway

Electoral Ward: Abbey

Parish: Colvend And Southwick

Traditional County: Kirkcudbrightshire

Tagged with: House

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Description

Asymmetrical house of 17th century origin, much altered in
19th and 20th centuries, supposedly the site of St Lawrences
Chapel and Well.
Painted/harled rubble building, walls approximately 2ft 8ins
thick; rectangular plan with central, E and W gables.
Original house to centre and W gable, latter has 20th century
canted bay slapped through, E bay is 19th century addition.
17th century house: wide bay to W, chamfered windows to
ground and 1st; 3-bay central block with enlarged 19th
century windows to ground and 1st, central roll-moulded
doorpiece. The door has probably been heightened as the top
jamb and lintel mouldings are of a different, thicker section
moulding. All windows sash and case with small-pane glazing.
The western internal gable wall is unusually thick and
accomodates a large roll-moulded fireplace (now partly
blocked, but having the character of a cooking hearth) at the
NW it gives access to the W apartment and to a large and
carefully worked newel stair which rises to attic level. The
N wall has been so altered in 1930s to allow a full-height
extension as to be unrecognisable. Slate roofs with coped end
and axial stacks, probably reroofed and stacks rebuilt in
19th-century.
Interior: apart from the plan of the 17th century house which
on the ground floor remains relatively intact and the main
chimneypiece, there is a well preserved bipartite moulded
aumbry to the ground floor N wall, with stencilled
decorations to margins. Large and fine red sandstone wheel
stair to N at internal gable rises to full height giving
awkward access to attics.

Statement of Interest

Fairgirth is an extemely interesting house with a complex

building history. The variety of chamfers and roll-mouldings

as well as the aumbry suggest much re-use of earlier

materials. The uneasy junction of the stair and attic floor

suggests the roof level has been considerably lowered at some

time.

External Links

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