Description

Dated 1847 with circa 1900 additions. 2-storey, 3-bay, piend-roofed farmhouse with Doric porch and L-plan former byres (now residential) forming U-plan courtyard to N (rear). Polished sandstone ashlar to S (front); squared, coursed, stugged sandstone to rear and sides; white-glazed brick addition to rear; coursed sandstone to courtyard elevations of byres; random whinstone rubble with sandstone dressings to other elevations. Base course, eaves cornice, blocking course to house; raised ashlar window margins and quoin strips to N elevation only; long and short quoins and some raised ashlar window margins to byres.

HOUSE: non-traditional 2-leaf timber-boarded front door with fanlight recessed in Doric porch with free-standing columns and full entablature to S (front). Regular fenestration in 3 bays. Former byre ranges adjoining to E and W elevations. 2-storey, glazed brick, semi-octagonal, piend-roofed addition to centre of N (rear) elevation; regular fenestration to flanking bays.

Predominantly plate glass glazing in non-traditional windows; original lying-pane glazed timber sash and case window at ground floor of rear to right. Corniced stacks with yellow clay cans. Graded grey slate. Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative brackets.

INTERIOR: black and white tiles to lobby. Curved stone staircase with cast-iron balusters and painted mahogany rail. Decorative plaster cornicing in ground-floor drawing room. Timber-panelled interior doors throughout.

W RANGE: probably former threshing barn. Single storey, T-plan wing with later 19th century gabled addition to S. Irregular, non-traditional fenestration to all elevations; 1847 datestone over filled vehicle entrance to N (courtyard) elevation; 3 slit windows and arched pigeon-loft entrance to N gable; similar pigeon-loft entrance to S gable. Ashlar-coped skews. Coped stacks.

E RANGE, BALNAKEILLY: former cow byre. Regular fenestration to all elevations of predominantly 20th century square windows with raised margins. Glazed timber porch to E. Blocked doorway and loft entrance to N gable. Ashlar-coped skews.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATES AND GATEPIERS: corniced ashlar gatepiers to S; lower gatepiers flanking to each side; decorative timber foot-gates with iron strap hinges. Whinstone rubble boundary walls with sandstone ashlar coping.

COTTAGE TO NE: gabled cottage (possibly former byre); late 20th century extension and porch; gablehead stacks. Rendered. Non-traditional windows. Slate roof.

Statement of Interest

One of the latest, but also the grandest of the traditional 2-storey, 3 bay farmhouses in the parish, occupying a prominent position on Halket Road. It has certain similarities to North Borland (built circa 1845), namely the piended roof, byre courtyard to the rear, and curved stone staircase with cast-iron baluster. Given these similarities, and the fact that East Halket does not appear on any of the early 19th century maps, it is likely that that the 1847 datestone marks the building of the house. The history of East Halket is not well documented. Davies states that the house originally faced North and that the South elevation was re-fronted in about 1900 when a man called Reid purchased the house from the Caldwell Estate, and that the turning circle and gates were formed at about the same time, following the re-alignment of Halket Road. This cannot have been the case, as the OS maps show that the road has never been moved, and the turning circle in front of the house is clearly shown on the 1858 OS map. Furthermore, there is no record of East (or any other) Halket in the Caldwell Estate papers, which are deposited at the National Library and the National Archives, and cover the years 1665-1919. However, there may be some truth in the assertion that the house originally faced the other way, as the rear elevation has raised quoin strips and window margins (features that are usually applied only to the front of a house, and which the South elevation does not have). Furthermore, the stonework of the courtyard elevations of the byres is the same high-quality, squared, coursed sandstone as the North elevation of the house. It seems unlikely that the strongly classical features of the South front were built much later than 1847, and it is possible that the orientation of the house was altered during the course of the building work.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56615507

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.

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