Description

1821-2, Cameron and Gellatly masons and James Murray wright (see Notes). Rare survival of small imaginative-designed Classical dairy (now roofless), with circular chamber to E, rectangular-plan centre section and concave-walled wedge shaped room to W. Sited close to Moncreiffe House, probably as eyecatcher beyond Ha-Ha of formal gardens, on pathway leading to Walled Garden. Droved ashlar with stone base course, projecting cills and rougher wallhead stonework (see Notes). Grouped 3-part diamond-aligned coped ashlar stack.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: doorway to centre S with 6-panelled timber door and multi-pane fanlight. Evidence of multi-pane glazing in timber-transomed bipartite windows.

INTERIOR: no longer surviving (2009).

Statement of Interest

B Group with Moncreiffe House, Stables, Walled Garden and Ha-Ha, Dovecote, Filter Bed and Water Tank, Gamekeeper's Cottage, Garden Cottage, West Lodge and Gate, and East Gate.

The rare survival at Moncreiffe of a small dairy is an indication of the quality of the estate pleasure grounds as the 'dairy was the building that perhaps went further than any other in combining necessary practicality with pursuit of pleasure' (Buxbaum, p111). The building was part of the domestic life of the estate as well as fulfilling the social role of provision of cooling refreshment during the estate tour. It is an important and integral part of the Moncreiffe Estate buildings. The building date and mason and wright details were provided by John Gifford.

Early dairies tended to be somewhat plain, but the ornamental role of this building is evident in plan and detail. Although the chimney has three fine stacks, it appears that there is only one flue, the others being purely ornamental, and the roughened wallhead detail may indicate the previous existence of a shade providing verandah. The three-roomed interior plan appears to be typical, as dairies tended to have a churning room, a scalding room, and a parlour.

Moncreiffe House dates from 1962, it replaces a house destroyed by fire in 1957.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77781625

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

• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)