Description

Earlier 19th century. Single storey with attic, 10-bay row of 3 rectangular-plan vernacular cottages with rustic porches (originally symmetrical terrace of 4 single storey cottages (2-3-3-2-bay) and a single storey, single bay outhouse); pitched set-back paired dormers to central cottages and 1st cottage now heightened with raised wallhead and flat-roofed flush dormer. Original construction concealed by harl and painted; outhouse of coursed and random rubble. Painted sandstone ashlar window dressings with projecting cills and margins. All with skewless pitched roofs.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: adjoining to extreme left, single storey, piend roof outhouse with door to left. To left, 2-bay cottage with raised attic level: pitched roof (corrugated iron), open timber rustic porch to right with rough logs supporting corners and sides in-filled to below half-height with weather-board, upper section with remnants of diagonal timber in-fill, later entrance door within; later bipartite window to left. To upper level, flush stone fronted dormer breaking eaves to left. Two single storey and attic, 3-bay cottages adjoining to right, both with central entrances, each with pitched roof (corrugated-iron), open timber rustic porches with rough logs supporting corners and sides in-filled to below half-height with weather-board (that on left cottage now missing), upper section with remnants of diagonal timber in-fill (near complete on right cottage), later entrance door within; windows with plain margins to flanks. To upper levels, pair of setback gabled dormers aligned with ground floor windows, those on right cottage retaining acorn finials to gableheads. To extreme right, single storey, 2-bay cottage (now part of 3rd cottage) with entrance door to left with painted margins and window of similar style to right.

NE ELEVATION: blind gabled end (originally single storey, raised to provide greater attic space) rising into gablehead stack; ground floor of elevation concealed by piend-roofed single storey outhouse with blind end wall.

SE (REAR) ELEVATION: single storey with regular fenestration, concealed in places by later extensions; large attic dormer to central cottage.

SW ELEVATION: single storey gable-end rising in rectangular gablehead stack.

4-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to most, timber casement windows with 4-pane fixed glazing to dormers of 2nd cottage. Pitched purple slate roof with lead ridging, flashings and valleys (graded slates to 1st and 3rd cottages); pitched and slated timber set-back dormers with slated cheeks and timber gableheads to central cottages; later stone-fronted near flat topped dormer to 1st cottage with lead cheeks. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods. Tall harled rectangular gablehead stack with plain stone cope and 3 plain cans to NE gable, taller square harled gablehead stack (with single can) shared with lower cottage; pair of lower harled and painted rectangular stacks with plain stone copes and paired cans to roofline of lower cottages, ending with similar stack to SW gable.

INTERIOR: not seen, 2002.

Statement of Interest

Sited on the main street of the hamlet, this terraced row of cottages stands to the south of the road junction with the Knowe Bridge. To the north, there is another row of cottages (listed separately) which are also surviving buildings from the once larger village. Traquair was, at one time, quite sizeable ? with a separate sheriff and jurisdiction from Peebles and of a size to afford accommodation to a barony court of local importance. The village lost many people to neighbouring settlements such as Innerleithen, Walkerburn and Peebles (mainly due to the new mills), with the majority who stayed being employed on the land at local farms or at Traquair House and estate. The early OS maps show the cottages in their original form with a pair of adjoined larger 3-bay cottages to the centre with a smaller 2-bay cottage adjoining each outer wall. Adjoining the north is a smaller L-plan structure, which can still be seen. To the rear of the properties are the garden grounds, which would have been used for growing vegetables and fruit. At the front of the cottages is a thin strip of land can still be seen in part; traditionally found in villages, the owner would plant this with flowers or bulbs of their choice. Listed as a good example of a vernacular row of cottages.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56621370

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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