Description

Earlier 19th century. 2-storey rectangular house (remaining portion of L-plan house) with octagonal stair tower on NE corner and broadly chamfered SE corner. Rubble. Tower rendered, and painted except for 3 sides at ground facing E; eaves course and band course between floors of tower. Variety of margins; wooden margins and reveals to tower; slightly raised droved surrounds with stugged tails to E.

E (HIGH STREET) ELEVATION: chamfered arris to door to left of centre with letterbox fanlight and panelled door; window above. Tower to right with window at ground and 1st floor to E. Window at 1st floor on chamfered angle to left.

W ELEVATION: modern porch at centre. linked to modern single-storey building running W; window to left. Broad tripartite window at centre at 1st floor with droved ashlar mullions.

N ELEVATION: 4 irregularly sized and disposed windows, blind window to right at 1st floor; nesting box at right.

S ELEVATION: 3 irregularly sized and disposed windows. Sash and case windows, with variety of small-pane glazing patterns, barred at ground floor. Grey slates to piend roof. Lead-flashed swept pyramidal roof to tower, with spiked finial, breaking main eaves line. Battered rendered wallhead stack to centre and brick shaft without can to left of S elevation.

INTERIOR: cast-iron balustrade to spiral stair. Main bedroom with ornamented cornice and ceiling rose, and vertical counterbalance-operated shutters to 3-light window. Console supporting beam in former kitchen.

Statement of Interest

The house originally formed the rear jamb of an L-plan building with the semi-octagonal stair tower in the re-entrant angle. The building was altered between 1853 and 1892. The semicircular coped rubble wall adjoining at SE corner and fronting High Street shows evidence of former window and door openings, and was probably the front wall of the earlier house. A retaining wall runs W and is adjoined to the SW corner of the house. The house was originally owned by the Buccleuch Estate, and apparently accommodated the Duke of Buccleuch's small private regiment, the "Duke's Canaries", hence the name "Militia House".

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56629738

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

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)