Description

Dated 1583; rear wing possibly 18th century; reconstructed 1969 by W Schomberg Scott. 2-storey, 5-bay crowstepped house with corbelled 1st floor to centre S and carved skewputts. Harled.

S (PAN HA') ELEVATION: ground floor with small window to left of centre under corbel table; 2 windows flanking centre at 1st floor with dominant, shouldered wallhead stack at centre and skewputts with carved human heads.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: advanced gable to centre (see Notes) with door and 1st floor window on return to left, window to each floor on return to right; recessed bay to right with window to each floor and further door in recessed bay to left.

E ELEVATION: horizontal light to left of centre at ground, window above to left and small window to left in gablehead with broad gablehead stack.

W ELEVATION: advanced gable to right with window to right at 1st floor and tiny window to outer right in gablehead, broad gablehead stack; recessed face to left with window to right at 1st floor; skewputt to left with carved human head.

8- and 12-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case windows. Pantiles. Coped harled stacks with thackstane; ashlar-coped crowsteps with 3 grotesques skewputts (see Notes).

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND GATES: harled and rubble boundary walls; E boundary with square-headed moulded doorway with lintel inscription "MY HOIP IS IN THE LORD 1583" and further moulded round-headed doorway (circa 1600); pyramidal-coped square section gatepiers to SW.

Statement of Interest

The National Trust for Scotland Little Houses Scheme was instrumental in the 1969 reconstruction when the 16th century layout became apparent; there were 3 ground floor rooms and a 1st floor hall with stone fireplace and ceiling coombed into the roof-space, lower rooms to each side had painted ceilings (removed 1969). The rear wing (possibly 18th century) is thought to replace a timber gallery supported on posts. Built for Patrick Sinclair whose coat of arms and initials were discovered on a painted ceiling, the three human head skewputts are thought to represent King James VI, Anne of Denmark and their son, Charles I. Cunningham calls it the 'Old Manse' and thinks the lintel inscription may have been added by John Young, Protestant Minister, after the Reformation. Early in the 19th century it was the home of John Ruskin's grandparents, and later became the Bay Horse Inn.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17572170

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

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)