Description

Late 18th century. Long, single-storey, largely symmetrical Gothic former estate offices with 2-storey square-plan towers at E and W ends. (Currently housing, 2011). Whinstone rubble with ashlar margins. Some pointed-arched door and window openings and some rectangular openings. Consoled cornice to E and W towers. Tower to W with ashlar W elevation and large pointed-arch opening with trefoil opening above, flanked by pointed arch openings with moulded surrounds. Some dormers rising above wallhead to N elevation.

Predominantly non-traditional replacement windows. Single timber sash and case window to upper storey at NE with timber Y-tracery. Grey slates. Round stack to E.

COURTYARD: coped rubble courtyard walls to N with square- gatepiers to W.

INTERIOR: (partially seen, 2011). Converted to form 3 dwellings. Predominantly later interior features.

Statement of Interest

Long Barn forms an important part of the former estate of Castle Semple. Depicted on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1863 as Offices, the building has been converted into dwellings, and retains some interesting Gothic detailing in the pointed-arched windows and openings. The distinctive towers to the East and West ends of the building add to its distinctive character and the Gothic detailing is characteristic of the estate in the late 18th century.

Castle Semple Estate has a long history, originally associated with the Semple family who built the first Castle Semple and the collegiate church (scheduled monument, 2011) around 1504. In 1727, the Semples sold the estate to a sugar plantation owner, William McDowell. McDowell began a range of land improvements to the estate, which form the basis of the current estate, including building a new Castle Semple House and landscaping the grounds. The 2nd William MacDowell continued the improvements to the estate including erecting a Temple at the deer park in Kenmuir Hill (see separate listing). The Estate was sold in 1814 to a Major John Harvey who continued to improve the landscape, and it is possible that this building dates to this time of improvement. The family finances declined during the course of the 19th century and the estate was sold in 1908. After this, the house was converted to apartments and the land broken up into small holdings. The House was damaged by fire in 1924 and the central portion of it demolished in the 1960s (see separate listing). The central section of the estate is currently a Regional Park.

List description updated, 2012. Category changed from B to C(S).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56619411

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock