Description

Late 18th century with 19th century additions. Single storey on raised basement, 3-bay, rectangular-plan former tollhouse on sloped site, extended to form L-plan residence with gabled entrance porch. Harled and limewashed stone with painted sandstone window dressings.

SW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: access by means of steps leading down to central projecting gabled porch with arch-headed window, timber segmental-arched entrance door to left return, blind to right. Simple window to outer bays with painted stone lintel, margins and sill.

NW ELEVATION: 3 regularly placed bays adjacent to roadside.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: window to ground left with projecting bay (probably original elevation) to right on open basement store, window to left return.

SE ELEVATION: blind, apart from window to off centre left of basement; central wallhead stack.

12 lying-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to principal windows of SW elevation; 2-pane timber sash and case arched window to gable of porch; 12-pane timber sash and case windows to remainder of elevations. Piended grey slate roof with lead and aluminium ridging and flashings; pitched roof to later porch with exposed rafters, purlins and plain bargeboards. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Tall, harled and painted stacks to E (roofline) and W (wallhead) with heavy plain neck copes and paired hexagonal cans (one since replaced to W stack).

INTERIOR: in private residential use, 2001.

Statement of Interest

Originally, this cottage was a toll house on the 18th century Peebles to Biggar "turnpike" road. The road had been upgraded following the 1751 Act passed to enable the establishment of "Turnpike Trusts". It is likely the cottage's main elevation was formerly the NW (road facing) one. Like Edston Toll, the central bay would have housed a door, with a window to the flanks. The central stack, on this elevation still survives. The bay to the left of the entrance porch shows the width of the original building. A slight line on the roof shows the original line of the piended end. The painting and harling of the exterior will have hid such structural changes. It appears that the building was extended and the front then became the side elevation; it is likely the lying pane glazing was removed (and re-used in the new principal elevation) so all three windows to the road remained identical. Tolls were abolished in Peeblesshire in 1866; hence this building would have become purely residential. A new gabled porch was added around the time tolls were abolished. Technically, legislation stated that once a Toll road had recouped the money for its construction, the Toll House was to be demolished. Many were not, and this is one of the surviving ones within the parish, another being sited at Lyne (or Edston). Interesting features, such as it's lying-pane glazing, stacks and porch, from different periods survive and add to its architectural interest. The building is now in private residential use on the approach road to Neidpath Castle from the west.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56621221

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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