east-lothian-1924/05-052

Transcription

HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION.

Falside (No. 193) and Stoneypath (No. 214). At Redhouse the courtyard
or " barmkin " survives with its gateway and buildings regularly disposed on
two sides ; at Lennoxlove nothing remains of the original enclosure but the
gate. The amount, lay out and general character of the buildings of such
residences depended upon the resources of the owner, but the tower type of
house reluctantly died out in the early part of the seventeenth century.
Little remains of the more loosely disposed buildings about the enclosure at
Garleton (No. 11), while the symmetrically planned mansion at Barnes
(No. 71) of the late sixteenth century seems never to have been completed.
It is on plan a radical departure from the long practised style of Scottish
country residence. Fountainhall (No. 137) is a well-preserved example of a
domestic building from which defensive features have totally disappeared even
as ornament ; several of the rooms still preserve their panelling of Memel pine.
" Bothwell Castle " (No. 72) erroneously so named, is all that remains of what, down
to recent times, had been an excellent specimen of a laird's town house.
Other structures of the class of Fountainhall and of the seventeenth century
are Northfield (No. 159) the Hamilton house (No. 158) Ballencrieff (No. 5)
Bankton (No. 195) and Ruchlaw (No. 217). Winton House (No. 136) is a
large and ornate expansion of a simpler building, with clear evidence of
English influence following upon the union of the kingdoms.
DOVECOTS. - These are numerous, for the county is mainly arable land ;
twenty-five are recorded and there are others of relatively modern date.
Of these may be instanced circular dovecots at Phantassie and Drylawhill, Preston-
kirk, and at Heugh Farm, North Berwick, and a rectangular dovecot at Preston
Mains, Prestonkirk. A circular structure at Bielside, Dunbar, formerly a windmill,
contains a dovecot beneath the modern roof. Of the three early types the first,
single chambered, circular on plan and referable to the 16th century, comprises
the dovecots at Dirleton Castle (No. 27), Congalton (No. 34), Nunraw (No. 45),
Waughton (No. 146), Northfield (No. 159) and Dolphinston (No. 160). The second
type, rectangular on plan and sometimes double chambered, came into use in the
latter part of the 16th century ; to it may be assigned fourteen dovecots, of which
the Dunbar example (No. 42) from its monastic origin, is of interest. At Athel-
staneford (No. 12) and Tranent (No. 196) are dovecots dated respectively
1583 and 1857. In a third category the dovecot is not freestanding but
is a chamber in a house, outbuilding, or church tower, as at Redhouse (No. 7)
Bothwell Castle (No. 72), Pencaitland and Stenton Churches (Nos. 135, 180)
and Tranent (No. 194).
The sixteenth century must have witnessed a great extension of the
building of dovecots, though such conveniences were, of course, much older,
possibly however of a less solid character. In 1503, under James IV., an Act
was passed dealing with these minor sources of food supply and instructing
every lord and laird to lay out parks for deer, orchards, warennes for rabbits
and erect " dowcots." But by 1617 another statute was necessary on account
of " the frequent building of doucottis by all maner of persounes in all the
parts " of the realm, and the privilege was restricted to such as possessed
ten chalders of victual rent adjacent to the dovecot or at least within two
miles of it, but this qualification was to be good for only one dovecot. Since
1424 there were laws against destroyers or breakers of " dow-houses."

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