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Edinburgh, Cramond, Cramond House

Hospital (First World War), House (17th Century), Bead, Coin(S)

Site Name Edinburgh, Cramond, Cramond House

Classification Hospital (First World War), House (17th Century), Bead, Coin(S)

Alternative Name(s) Cramond Roman Fort; Cramond Auxiliary Hospital

Canmore ID 50414

Site Number NT17NE 34

NGR NT 19121 76900

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50414

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Edinburgh, City Of
  • Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District City Of Edinburgh
  • Former County Midlothian

Archaeology Notes

NT17NE 34.00 1911 7688

NT17NE 34.01 NT 1912 7691 well

NT17NE 34.02 NT 1932 7673 South Drive (watching brief)

NT17NE 34.03 NT 19658 76393 Lodges and Gateway

NT17NE 34.04 NT 19153 76906 Sundial

(NT 1911 7688). Cramond House was built about 1680 by the Inglis family who up till then occupied Cramond Tower (NT17NE 4). Three Roman denarii, halfgroat of Robert II, groat of Robert III and a forged 2d piece, all found in the grounds were donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1959-60, while a blue bead from here was donated in 1969-70.

N Tranter 1963; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1962; 1973

Cramond House has no features of architectural importance. The finds mentioned were apparently from the Roman Fort (NT17NE 3).

Visited by OS (BS) 11 December 1975.

Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society were granted permission from Historic Scotland to carry out a geophysical survey at Kirk Cramond. Four 20m x 20m squares were surveyed and confirmed that most Roman archaeology from the underlying fort remains had been lost. The ditch that ran on the W side of the road that ran northwards out of the fort was detected by the ground resistance, and showed that it continued on for some 5m. The trenches excavated during archaeological work in 1975 were recorded.

H M D Jones 2006

Architecture Notes

NT17NE 133.01 19658 76393 Lodges and Gateway

NT17NE 133.02 c. 19153 76906 Sundial

Built c.1680, additions c.1760

Owner: Edinburgh Corporation (now used as a nursing home)

NMRS REFERENCE:

Plans:

I G Lindsay Collection, W/469

Activities

Antiquarian Observation (1794)

Ball of iron joined with a crossbar in the middle said to be for shooting out of a ballista or similar reported to be from garden of Cramond House.

Publication Account (1951)

174. Cramond House.

This mansion is a composite structure and on plan resembles the letter H, the parallel limbs running N. and S. and the central part E. and W. The central part, of three main storeys built of harled rubble with exposed back-set and chamfered dressings, is substantially the house built by John Inglis of Cramond about 1680, shortly before his death. This nucleus was refashioned internally by Sir John Inglis who died in 1771 and was succeeded by his brother, Sir Adam Inglis. Sir Adam is credited with the addition of the W. wing in 1772 (1),the year in which he died. This wing, also containing three main-storeys and built of harled rubble, has a central circular bay projecting to the W. Some twenty years after the extension was made a parallel wing was added to the E. end of the original house. Built of droved ashlar, this last extension has only two storeys, the upper one very lofty. Its E. side is the entrance front, in which the central part asset forward and is surmounted by a pediment. In the tympanum is carved the Inglis crest, a demilion issuing from a wreath and holding a mullet in the right paw. The entrance has a moulded doorpiece approached by a perron which crosses a sunk area; the windows on either side of the entrance, like those in the adjoining gables, are tall and have semi-circular heads with keystones. The basement windows have back-set margins.

The entrance opens into a large and lofty central hall. This has a coved ceiling, a reeded and banded frieze and an enriched cornice. On the N. is a massive stone mantelpiece with bold semi-shafts. The hall gives access to a room at each side, also large and equally lofty. The room to the S. is the drawing-room. This is lit by one window facing S. and three facing E. On the W. is a large gre m arble mantelpiece with a bold bolection-moulding surmounted by a shelf. The walls have dado panelling and an enriched frieze and cornice. The dining-room on the N. of the hall is almost identical, but the frieze is not enriched and the monumental mantelpiece is of black marble. The hall also gives access on the W. to the staircase, lit by a cupola and containing a stone stair with flat balusters of oak carved in relief with conventional foliage and surmounted by a mahogany rail. Beyond the staircase lies the earliest part of the house, in which a central passage runs W. on each floor to communicate with the W. wing. Although a central passage is unusual in 17th-century plans, this passage may nevertheless be an original provision since on the first floor it contains two 17th-century doorways side by side. These have back-set and chamfered margins and they do not seem to have been disturbed. The two bold contemporary corbels nearby, one on either side of the passage, are not, however, necessarily in their original positions. Apart from these features nothing of particular interest is to be seen either in the original house or in the W. wing.

SUNDIAL. There is an interesting sundial on the carriage-sweep before the entrance. This has been fully recorded elsewhere (2) and it is enough to say here that the relic is of the multi-dialled type and is supported by a square baluster-shaft. On one of the S. dial-faces the date 1732 is still visible. But fifty years ago the name SIR ROB DICKSON could also be seen below it, while the inscription ARCH. HANDASYDE FECIT was then legible on the corresponding N. dial. These facts suggest that the sundial came originally from lnveresk, as Sir Robert Dickson, who died in 1760, was laird of lnveresk and Handasyde was a mason in Musselburgh. Before coming to Cramond the sundial is said (3) to have stood on the adjoining property of Lauriston.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c. 1941

(1) Wood, The ancient and modern state of the parish of Cramond, p. 44. (2) P.S.A.S., xxiv (1889-90), pp. 232-4. 3 lbid.

Photographic Survey (November 1959 - December 1959)

Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1959.

External Reference (1959)

NT 191 768

Three Roman denarii, halfgroat of Robert II, groat of Robert III and a forged 2d piece, all found in the grounds of Cramond House, Midlothian. Donated to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS) in 1959-60.

Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1959-60, vol 93

External Reference (1970)

Blue bead found near Cramond House, donated to NMAS in 1969-70 by C.Hoy Edinburgh.

Project (March 2013 - September 2013)

A project to characterise the quantity and quality of the Scottish resource of known surviving remains of the First World War. Carried out in partnership between Historic Scotland and RCAHMS.

External Reference

Stone wall and clay floor, approx 60' inside W drive of Cramond House on S side. 1629 coin in wall. House and destroyed floor of Roman storehouse.

CHT ARCHIVE H 41

Aerial Photographic Interpretation

Crop mark showing two parallel curved features below NE corner of flat area in front of E front of Cramond House.

CUCAP BD-50 Aerial photo

References

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