Stable Block, Wedderburn Castle, Duns, Scottish Borders

Description

Later 18th century with later alterations and additions. 2 abacking quadrangular courtyards, to NW of Wedderburn Castle, comprising stabling, hay and straw barns, cart and coach sheds. Single storey buildings except 2-storey to E end of S elevation. Harl-pointed rubble with droved ashlar and polished ashlar dressings; harled N elevation to S range of E courtyard. Base course, quoins, to E elevation of E courtyard. Relieving arches to earlier fabric.

E COURTYARD: E RANGE, E ELEVATION: 5-bay. Broad pedimented and slightly advanced bay to centre with flush quoins and segmental-arched entrance to courtyard. Thermal windows to each of the flanking bays. E RANGE, W ELEVATION: pilastered and pedimented surround to arch (as E elevation) to centre. Possibly later 2-leaf boarded door to left of centre. High 2-pane narrow segmentally-arched window to right of centre. Formally monopitch roofed addition to return (SE) angle. INTERIOR OF E RANGE: S section still used as a stable with timber and cast-iron stalls; cast-iron corner hay hecks to each stall; lion-faced cast-iron tethering fitting; cast-iron corner watering basins. Concrete grid-grooved flooring. N section used as a hay and straw barn, open to rafters. E-W RANGE TO N, N ELEVATION: irregularly spaced; boarded doors to outer bays and window to left of centre. Brick wallhead stack to right of door and droved ashlar wallhead to right of window. E-W RANGE TO N, S ELEVATION: 4 segmental-arched ashlar cart shed openings to left, with modern temporary blinding, except that to right blinded and harled with boarded timber door flanked to right with window. Boarded sliding door with timber lintel in penultimate bay to right; 2-leaf timber boarded door with segmentally-arched 2-pane fanlight above to narrow store room. N-S RANGE TO W, E ELEVATION: roofless, 1995, except to outer right over segmental arch to 2nd courtyard, also to outer left. 2 former byres with doors to centre of each section with thermal window centred above each. E-W RANGE (FORMER HORSEMAN?S COTTAGE) TO S, S ELEVATION: 2-storey, 7-bay, irregularly disposed with blank wall to outer right. Doors to outer bays. Door at ground of 4th bay (partially glazed) and penultimate to right bay with window at 1st floor above each (blinded oculus to penultimate bay to right). E-W RANGE TO S, N ELEVATION: almost symmetrical, 5-bay. Door to centre with 2-pane rectangular fanlight above. Windows at ground and 1st floor in flanking bays. Window at 1st floor of outer bays. Boarded door in bay to outer right with rectangular fanlight above. INTERIOR: most of shutters in place and working. Simple vaulting to 1st floor rooms. Change in ground level from S to N makes N windows high and immediately at ground level. 8- and 6-pane windows to S elevation; variety to N, mainly modern with top-hoppers. Slate roof with ashlar coped stack and red brick modern stack.

2ND COURTYARD: E-W RANGE TO N, N ELEVATION: aligned with that of 1st courtyard, blank. E-W RANGE TO N, S ELEVATION: 6-bay. 5 shallow segmentally-arched openings to cart/coach sheds to left, formerly with 2-leaf gates. Openings above between outer and penultimate segmental-arched openings. Door to outer right now partially blinded with rubble to create a window. (Formerly entrance to a stable?) N-S RANGE TO W, W ELEVATION: projecting section to centre with steps to 2-leaf boarded door. Door to left with arrow slit window to left. Window opening to byre immediately to right of centre. Segmental-arched opening to courtyard to penultimate bay. Segmental-arched opening, with keystone in bay to outer right. N-S RANGE TO W, E ELEVATION: boarded split door to approximate centre. Segmentally-arched openings to outer bays. INTERIOR: barns, byres or store rooms. E-W RANGE TO S, S ELEVATION: 8-bay. Single storey. Venetian window in bay to outer right. Door in 3rd bay. Thermal window in 7th bay and door in bay to outer right with rectangular fanlight above. E-W RANGE TO S, N ELEVATION: 5-bay. Formerly 2 doors to 2 bays right of centre, now penultimate right bay blinded and bay to outer right partially blinded to make window. Later rubble and slate monopitch-roofed porch in bay to outer left with door. INTERIOR: former coachman?s house. Slate roof; 2 brick stacks. COURT: to centre of 2nd court; square-plan, rubble.

KENNELS: to SW of 2nd courtyard. Later brick building with brick walled forecourts and tall iron fencing.

Statement of Interest

There was apparently a waterwheel mill to W elevation of N-S range to W, possibly adjacent to the projection to centre. The map of 1857 is the first which defines the buildings upon the Wedderburn estate. The stable block is, as now, made up of 2 adjacent courts, with the waterwheel mill house to the W.

External Links

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