Description

Circa 1560; extended 1745 with major renovations 1979. 2-storey, rectangular-plan farmhouse formed from altered tower house with much later slightly lower projecting gabled wing to right; single storey byres and outbuildings forming L-plan courtyard to side and rear, bounded to E by single storey cottages. Harled and lime/whitewashed rubble; some breeze block reconstruction harled to match. Painted ashlar margins to most windows; some rounded arrises to original jambs. Skew-gabled.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: to left, 2-storey, 2-bay former towerhouse; later lean-to semi-glazed porch to ground floor right in re-entrant angle of central gabled wing, entrance door to left return. To centre, 2-storey gabled wing: bipartite window to ground floor left, single window to right with matching window to 1st floor; to left return, entrance porch adjoining to ground floor with single window to 1st floor; right return blind. To right, single storey and attic former hayloft: later glazed windows replacing original door; modern barn adjoining to right return and running length of rear of W courtyard range.

SE ELEVATION: blind gable-end rising into gablehead stack.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: to right, main house formerly 2 regularly placed bays to each floor, partially piended and flat-roofed porch 2-bay porch extension now covering ground floor left bay and centre. To left, lower altered hayloft with timber boarded entrance door to right and large paired bipartite windows within single surround to left and centre; pair of roof lights to attic; to left return, adjoining courtyard buildings (see below).

NE ELEVATION: blind gable-end of farmhouse rising into gablehead stack; arm of pitched extension and piended hayloft adjoining to ground floor.

COURTYARD BUILDINGS: single storey courtyard range adjoining left return of former hayloft: lean-to to extreme right with central door and 2-pane cast-iron Carron light above, small brick stack rising from original wallhead; door adjacent to left; former door to centre (now in-filled and painted to match wall); to far left of elevation small window. Blind gable end to left return with small central window aligned with eaves; much later barn adjoining to rear of range. To E of courtyard: separate single storey range altered to form holiday cottages.

8-lying pane timber sash and case windows to most; 6-pane casement windows to former hayloft in principal elevation; some 6-pane window with top hoppers and later plate glass windows to rear; Velux roof lights to lesser elevations. Pitched and piended grey slate roof with metal ridging, flashings and valleys. Harled gablehead stacks to main house with plain stone neck copes and plain white cans; small painted ashlar stack to former hayloft with octagonal can; brick stacks with plain cans to farm buildings. Plain ashlar skews with small moulded putts to principal elevation of former tower house.

INTERIOR: refurbished in the late 20th century, currently in use as a farmhouse and bed and breakfast.

Statement of Interest

Sited to the north of Peebles, past Rosetta, is Chapelhill Farm. The farm steading occupies a flat-topped knoll believed to be the site of an ancient chapel. The land was owned by an abbey until 1555, when it was feud by James, commendator of the monasteries of Kelso and Melrose to Alexander Hop-Pringle and his wife. The chapel was removed to make way for the tower house, which now forms the farmhouse at the centre of the present steading. The tower house was used in 1564 to store the "ornamentis westmentis and jewellis" of the Cross Kirk whilst awaiting disposal. Later, it was let to people such as Francis Stewart of Bothwell, and Robert Ker of Cessford who was created Lord Roxburgh in 1600, then Earl in 1616. A Robert Pringle of Chapel Hill then appears in a weapon show at Peebles in 1627, but the Pringles sold it in 1657 to John Andrew. The property later passed to the Williamson family, then to J.P. Elliot of London who again let it to tenants. Formerly, there was a stone above the kitchen door dated 1696, which had been inserted from elsewhere. The farmhouse underwent major renovation in the late 20th century and it is now in use as a farmhouse bed and breakfast. The courtyard buildings are in use for the purpose of farming, whilst a row adjacent to the NE side of the courtyard have been refurbished and are let as holiday accommodation. While this farm has the 16th century tower house converted for use as the farm house, at nearby Winkston the similar tower house (listed at category B) is now in use as a store, and a new farm house was built in the early 19th century. Listed as a good example of a Peeblesshire farm.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17844915

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

• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)