Longniddry, Gosford Road, The Cottage

Building Notes

In 1951 Basil Spence and Partners designed a modern cottage for Mr P Sandison. The cottage, constructed between 1951 and 1954, is built in an existing garden in Gosford Road, Longniddry and overlooks the Firth of Forth.

The exposed setting of the cottage influenced its low profile. A variety of natural finishes were used externally including un-coursed stone, slate, wood, and brick. The contrast of textures, materials, and colours continues inside – in the living room, for example, stone is offset with brick and, on the hearth, with steel, while in the kitchen, a red tiled floor is juxtaposed with blue cupboard doors.

One of the cottage's most striking external features is the large, oversized chimneystack. This is reminiscent of those employed in Spence's Bannerfield housing estate in Selkirk (1945-63).

Archive Details

The Sir Basil Spence Archive reveals that Spence employed locally sourced, re-used materials where possible. Stone and Ballachulish roof slates came from local demolitions. This was done in order to give the building a weathered appearance from the outset.

The Archive contains an undated sketch for an extension accommodating a dining room and kitchen to the northwest.

Archive Summary

The Sir Basil Spence Archive holds one manuscript folder, 19 drawings, and five photographs relating to Gosford Road Cottage. Drawings include site plans, perspectives, sections, elevations, and details. There are also various drawings for bespoke fixtures and fittings.

This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.