Description

Built sometime between 1858 and 1900, Balmuirfield Lodge is a rectangular-plan, two-storey, three-bay lodge. The ground floor is on a level with the arch of the bridge. There is a piend-roofed extension attached to the east elevation with a garage opening to the ground floor and a first floor window opening in the east gable. There is a harled advanced bay, supported on piers, projecting from the first floor of the north (rear) elevation, forming a T-plan footprint and added sometime between 1921 and the 1950s. There are the remains of a rear forestair. The west gable has a window opening to its right bay. The lodge is set back from Harestane Road, located over the brow of a small hill, at the edge of Dichty Water, at the southern entrance to the former Balmuirfield Mill/bleachfield site.

The building is constructed in whitewashed rubble sandstone with ashlar quoins and long and short margins around the window openings. Many of the window openings are unglazed and those to the first floor of the front (south) elevation are boarded up. There are some uPVC casement windows in the upper rear of the building.

The roof is pitched to the west and hipped to the east and covered in grey slates. The west elevation has plain bargeboards and there are corniced ridge chimneystacks. The interior of the lodge is now gone and is mostly stripped back to bare stone (2025).

The adjoining single arch road bridge was constructed sometime between 1858 and 1900. The bridge has segmental arches with small irregular voussoirs and is built of rubble sandstone with rounded rubble coping. The northeast parapet abuts the southwest corner of the lodge, and the northwest parapet continues around to the west as a wall.

Historical development

Balmuirfield is one of several early mill sites along the Dichty Water and is first mentioned as a plash mill in 1834 and then in 1861-2 (see listed building record for Balmuirfield House, LB19033). Plash mills were used in the bleaching process for textile production (primarily linen and jute).

The 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1858-9 shows the plash mill, at that time named West Balmuir Mill. This map shows an L-shaped building to the north of the current position of the lodge and road bridge, indicating the lodge and bridge were built after 1858-9. The mill buildings and their associated lades are depicted on this map. Balmuir Mill, a flour mill (and later a corn mill), is shown to the immediate east. The Ordnance Survey Name Book of 1857-61 describes West Balmuir Mill as owned by Mr Webster Esquire and worked by Mr Murdoch (OS1/14/67/34).

West Balmuir Mill expanded to become a bleachfield in around 1864 and continued to be worked by A J Murdoch and Company (Warden, p.520). The Webster family of Balmuir sold the mill site to the Sharp family (now of Balmuir House) in around 1872. The bleachfield was worked by David Moodie and Company from around 1880.

The 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1900 shows the site much expanded, including the addition of the lodge and road bridge and other industrial structures to the immediate north and northwest of the lodge. The lodge is shown as originally having a much longer footprint than at present. A detached manager's house and mill dam are also shown on this map.

By the Ordnance Survey map of 1921, the bleachfield is marked as 'disused' and the lodge has been reduced in size to the basic rectangular plan footprint it has today (the westernmost section abutting the bridge). The hipped addition to the east and the rear outshot on piers were added sometime between 1921 and 1952. The footprint today survives largely as it was shown on the Ordnance Survey map of 1952-65.

In the mid-20th century, the Balmuirfield site operated as a fruit and vegetable nursery. The individual properties on the Balmuirfield estate are now privately owned (2025). The lodge appears to have been uninhabited for many years.

Statement of Interest

We have found that Balmuirfield Lodge and the adjoining road bridge meet the criteria for listing for the following reasons:

• The lodge is a simply-designed, but prominent, traditionally constructed building at the entrance to Balmuirfield. Its historic character has not been adversely affected by later extensions.
• The lodge and bridge are important components of an architecturally and historically significant group of functionally and historically related industrial heritage buildings relating to the linen processing industry along the Dichty Water.
• The site is a rare survival in the area. Many of these historic mill sites no longer survive. Balmuirfield is a largely complete example of a former milling site which informs our understanding of its industrial history throughout the 19^th century and early 20^th century.

Architectural or historic interest

Architectural interest

Balmuirfield Lodge is designed in a simple traditionally constructed building and continues to form the main entrance into the Balmuirfield estate. Its use of rubble sandstone with ashlar margins with its symmetrical front elevation is typical of this estate ancillary building type.

The building is two storeys high but is designed to appear compact, nestled within the landscape on the northern bank of the Dichty Water.

The footprint of the lodge has been altered with the addition of the extensions to the rear (north) and east elevations prior to the mid-20^th century.

While the building has been extended, these additions are clearly discernible from the earlier fabric and the distinctive rectangular plan form of the lodge remains evident.

The poor condition of the fabric of the building has not adversely affected the historic character of the building and our ability to understand its function within the wider context of the building's setting.

The lodge is prominently sited along the river and is visible from the main road, albeit set back. This would have marked the principal entrance into Balmuirfield mill and estate.

The lodge forms part of an architecturally and historically significant group of other functionally related buildings at Balmuirfield, including the mill range, mill lades and the later mill manager's house and ancillaries most of which are also listed buildings. These are surviving evidence of the 19^th century mill industry on this site. Balmuirfield Lodge is an essential component of the site and contributes both to the historic setting and to the historical context of Balmuirfield.

Historic interest

The Dichty Water was an important source of power for Dundee's industries. In 1793 there were 33 different mills and bleachfields recorded along its course, turning simple machinery for grinding and washing, including nine bleachfields in this parish alone (Statistical Account of Scotland, p.224). The survival of sites like these is increasingly rare, with many of them removed or substantially developed for housing. Balmuirfield, as a whole site, survives as a largely complete group of mill-related buildings.

Gatelodges are typical features of estates. They are most commonly seen as part of residential country estates, but they also feature on industrial sites. These buildings functioned as security and accommodation for a porter or other worker, in this instance, someone related to the operations of the mill. As a component of the estate, Balmuirfield Lodge has special social historical interest as it has an historic association with the development of the wider Balmuirfield site which adds to our understanding of the social and industrial history of this part of Scotland.

Part of B Group with Balmuirfield House (LB19033), Coach house (LB19034), Mill (LB19036) and road bridge over lade (LB19037).

Listed building record revised in 2025.

External Links

• Wikidata Q17778649

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

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)