Description

1850, with 1858 extension. 2-storey with attic and basement, 4-bay by 13-bay former seed warehouse with classical details, 11-bay to river with adjoining single storey boiler house (brick chimney removed, circa 1975). Painted ashlar with polished ashlar margins. Rubble basement beneath band course to E (Kilmarnock Water) elevation. Lightly colour washed stuccoed ashlar to S elevation. Projecting sills to most windows. Skewputts and scroll finial to N.

S (ST MARNOCK STREET) ELEVATION: later pilastered shop front to ground floor, 6 irregular width bays with door in 2nd left; chamfered angles. Double string courses at 1st floor, the upper forming sill course of 4 regularly placed architraved windows; scrolled, moulded detail to outer of end bays and to centre; curved rusticated quoins terminating in moulded scroll below prominent eaves cornice.

W (ST MARNOCK PLACE) ELEVATION: 13-bay elevation with pend / loading bay, originally on N elevation before 1858 extension. Chamfered jambs and moulded flat arch with keystone to pend. 2 plain doors, now entrances to pub and cafe. 2' overhanging cornice and blocking course.

N ELEVATION: additional single storey boiler house with pair of windows set at angle to main elevation; canted brick stump of stack to NW with large ashlar dressings. To 1st floor of main building, central window; paired windows to gablehead.

E (KILMARNOCK WATER) ELEVATION: 11 irregularly placed bays to ground and 1st floors, bracketed cornices to bays 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 of ground floor. Painted advertising fascia dividing full length of upper storeys.

To St Marnock Street elevation and 1st 2-bays of E elevation, 7-pane timber sash and case windows, with 6-pane upper sash and plate glass lower sash; modern plate glass windows to ground floor shop windows. To E elevation: 24-pane timber windows with 12-panes per sash; some sash and case windows, some pivoting top mock sash with ventilation bars to lower casement window; metal framed, multi-paned bipartite windows to basement. Combination of cast-iron Carron lights and modern velux roof lights to attic. Shallow piended grey slate roof, gabled to N. Aluminium ridging, flashing and valleys. Painted cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: original elements remaining, but refurbished to provide restaurant and accommodation. Cast-iron stanchions bearing timber beams, some single span across about 42' width of building. Stone steps to basement. Slightly curved rectangular stairs to former office end. Main storage area now subdivided to form Copperfield's Inn and the Artful Dodger pub and restaurant.

Statement of Interest

Part of B-Group with 3, 5 & 7 St Marnock Street & 113 - 119 King Street. One of the shops to the St Marnock Street elevation was used for retail by part of the firm's family. Rankin and Borland, a firm of manufacturing chemists, were established in 1798. They were well known for making mineral waters. Interestingly, the Ha's Well was sited near here and it was said to produce the best water for whisky. The main family was Borland and the firm was known as James Borland & Sons Ltd, Seed Stores. The Borland firm had been incorporated with Dickie Fowlds & Co Ltd, Established 1750. The building remained in use as a "seed warehouse" until nearly the end of the 20th century. The interior remained almost complete with an earlier 19th century rea (seed sifter), on the ground floor, with semi-circular movement and 2 sieves of different mesh proportions. Associated with this was a fanner, and both pieces of machinery were in regular use until the firm closed down. There was also a rea in the basement with a back and forward movement. 2 hot air grain driers were sited on the 1st floor. All the machines were water powered, hence the proximity to the river, but all that survived of the mechanism was a tank in the basement. The building has now been refurbished to form an inn, pub and restaurant with subdivision of the formerly open floor plans. Part of the original name can still be seen painted onto the left of the E elevation, behind the newer fascia.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17791793

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

• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Drawing up a Local Listed Building Consent Order: Historic England Advice Note 6