east-lothian-1924/05-194

Transcription

PRESTONPANS.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [PRESTONPANS.

the exterior angles and are borne in contin-
uous corbelling. The south entrance has a
moulded Renaissance architrave, cornice and
triangular pediment with flanking and central
finials. The architrave is inscribed "EXCEP .
THE . LORD . BVLD . INWANE . BVLDS . MAN."
The inscription is interrupted by a panel bear-
ing a shield charged per pale, a star below a
cushion in chief (for Marjoribanks), and a star
below three crescents on a chief (for Simpson).
Above the shield are the initials I M separated
by a star (Joseph Marjoribanks), on either side
of the shield are initials M S (M. Simpson) ;
below the shield is the date 1611.
The building measures 37 1/2 feet along the
west wall by 74 feet along the south wall,
and these walls vary from 2 1/2 feet to 4 feet in
thickness. The re-entering angle, lying to
the north, contains a comparatively modern
turret, within which is a geometrical stair ;
this turret probably replaced one earlier and
smaller containing a wheel stair with a solid
central newel. The original entrance was
through the turret but is now disused. The
eastward portion of the main wing has been
altered very shortly after completion to contain
the scale and platt stair and the south entrance.
The eastern windows and turrets do not line
with those on the west, but the architectural
detail throughout is identical; moreover while
there is a kitchen in the shorter wing a second
is formed in the addition. The rearrangement
of the east end with the transference of the
kitchen and the proportions of the two parts
of the building, suggest that there has been
a substantial extension or reconstruction to-
wards the east, but there is no evidence of
this in the actual building.
The south entrance admits to a small lobby,
from which a good scale staircase rises to the
first floor ; on the east of the lobby is the
later kitchen with a fireplace and oven in the
east gable. West of the lobby and entered from
it are two intercommunicating cellars, and the
western communicates with the shorter wing
through the well of the stair turret. The
kitchen and cellars have semicircular barrel
vaulted ceilings. The basement floor of the
short wing contains the earlier kitchen on the
north, with fireplace and presses in the north
gable and a slop drain adjoining ; en suite with
this is a second and smaller chamber on the

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south. The upper floors are modernised. On
the first floor of the main wing there is a fine
painted ceiling of timber in the dining room
concealed by a modern plaster ceiling. The
upper landing of the staircase has a " honey-
comb " paving beneath the modern floor, and
the doorways opening off this landing have
moulded stone architraves.
The building is inhabited and is in good
preservation.
DOVECOT.-South-east of the mansion is its
dovecot, a contemporary structure circular on
plan.
SUNDIAL.-On a rockery in the garden is a
tablet-shaped sundial dated 1647 and in-
scribed with initials G.M. and M.R.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-Joseph Marjoribanks,
an Edinburgh merchant, acquired lands and
houses on the south side of the vill of Salt-
Preston from George Hamilton portioner of
Salt-Preston, and a mansion and house with
a garden in the same place from George
Achesone another portioner and Barbara Con-
gleton his wife.1

1 R.M.S. s.a. No. 1637.

ix. N.W. 8 July 1914.

160. Dolphinston or Cowthrople.-About
150 yards south of the Edinburgh to Hadding-
ton high road and about 1 1/4 miles south-south-
west of Preston is a fragment of a dwelling
dating from the late 17th century. The struc-
ture has evidently been of considerable size with
its major axis lying east and west. Only a
portion of one wall remains, but this shows that
the basement apartments were covered with a
stone barrel vault and lit by narrow slits
5 inches wide and 2 feet high. The upper
floor windows were large, and their jambs
have back-set margins, indicating that the
building was roughcast. The ruin stands
within an area enclosed by a high wall appar-
ently contemporary, at the north side of
which is a circular Dovecot in three stages
51 feet in girth at the base.
HISTORICAL NOTE.-In 1680 Richard Ward
(" Ricardus Waird ") was entered as heir of his
father of the same name in the barony of
Dolphinstoune, formerly called " Colthrople "
within the parish of Saltprestoune. Three
years later Elizabeth Ward appears as successor