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Edinburgh, Broomhouse Crescent, Saughton House

House (17th Century), Housing Estate (21st Century), School (20th Century)

Site Name Edinburgh, Broomhouse Crescent, Saughton House

Classification House (17th Century), Housing Estate (21st Century), School (20th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Oaklands School; Broomhill Primary School

Canmore ID 145437

Site Number NT27SW 1830

NGR NT 2040 7130

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/145437

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

Architecture Notes

House damanged by fire in 1920 and subsequently demolished. Site now occupied by Broomhill Primary School and grounds. NB. Not to be confused with Saughton Hall NT27SW 2203 7190, Site 9.

REFERENCES:

SCOTTISH RECORDS OFFICE:

Inventory of Household Plenishing lists the rooms in Saughton House as follows:- Drawing room, Low Dining room, Bed chamber, Blue room, Red room, Little Nursery, Low Nursery, Kitchen, Cellar and Garrets, 1719. GD 150/2978

Repairs to be done by James Watson of Saughton to the Mansionhouse of Saughton. The inventory includes the provision of new locks, repair of yellow and red room, painting papering, and the putting on of a double leaf outer door at the stairhead of the first storey, 1759-1760. GD 150/3193

Estimate for wright work at Saughton House. It includes the provision of a door with architraves for the big DIning room and a leaved door for the staircase. Unsigned. 1760. GD 150/3198

Estimates for mason and wright work for the Mansion House and Office houses to be built at South Saughton for Mr Watson Of Saughton. The estimate for mason work amounts to ?102.10.0 1/2 and for wright work to ?214.17.1, unsigned. N.d. (18th century). GD 150/3205/1-2X

Specifiaction for building and finishing a small addition to Saughton House for j(ames) Watson Esq. of Saughton. (Plans enclosed -0 missing). Unsigned. N.d. post 1812. GD 150/3205/3-5X (Copy in NMRS).

Payments made to masons, wrights, smiths, slaters and plumbers noted in Factor's account book. (No details given) 1716-1728. GD 150/3212/3 Pages 15 and 37

Glazier's accounts and receipts for work at Saughton. Glazier: William Jamieson, 1690-1699. GD 150/3258/1-5

Wright and Thatcher work on the new stable at Sighthill, for the Laird of Saughton. Discharge, 1690. GD 150/3258/20

Slater work at Saughton for James Watson of Saughton. Discharge from Robert Struthers, Slater in Linlithgow, 1691. GD 150/3258/20

Glazier work undertaken for the Laird of Saughton by WIlliam Jamieson. Receipted account. ?24.15.0 (Scots), 1693. GD 150/3259/124

Mason work at the House of Saughton. Discharge. William Miln, mason burgess of Edinburgh, 1702. GD 150/3267/76

Mason work undertaken by John Hamilton, mason, for David Watson.

Receipted account includes payment for hewing and laying of the chamber chimney hearth and hewing of sill and lintel for the window, 1664. GD 150/3251/76

Glazier work at the Lang Saughton. Receipted account from Thomas Jamieson for work done for Mr David Watson, 1673. GD 150/3253/15

Building at Saughton. 'I, Edward Cleghorn, mason and indweller in Corstorphine, grant me by these presents to be completely satisfied and paid by Mr David Watson of Saughton WS for building of his whole Dykes about his house of Saughton and for building of one new house in the green and of another new house upon the East and of the lands of Newmains of Saughton...' Discharge November, 1677. GD 150/3254/24

Wright work at Saughton. Partly discharged account from James Broune, wright, for setting up the plenishing at Saughton, pointing, taking down of the side wall chimney in the hall, and for the new work, 1686-1687. GD 150/3257/18

Sale and roup of silver plate and household furniture belonging to the deceased James Watson of Saughton.

Inventory lists the following room:- High and Low Dining rooms, Drawing room, Bedchamber, Blue room, White room, Red room, Little and Low Nurseries and Kitchen premises, 1719. GD 150/3275.

Plaster and stucco work. Receipted account from McGahhan and Russell for blue painted chimney tiles, stucco, plaster work anf for making moulds for the Library cornice, 1776. GD 150/3297/5-7x

Harling the house and cleaning the baluster in front of the house. Receipted account from John Paris, mason to Charles Watson of Saughton, 1780. GD 150/3315/55

Agreement between James Watson of Saughton and John Aitkine, Wright in the Canongate. He is also to make two sash windows for the Drawing room at Saughton, 9 May 1702. GD 150/3267/74

Receipted account from John Clark, painter, for work undertaken for the Laird of Saughton.

It includes the painting of windows and 'broads' and the colouring of iron work on the top of the house, 1702. GD 150/3267/79

Painting the house, coachhouse, coach and close at Saughton. Receipted account from Joseph Beech, Painter (in Edinburgh) amounting to ?239.8.5. It includes charges for painting the Dining room, the Bedchamber on the first storey, the Laigh doors and the doors in the turnpike. The roofs 'high and laigh', the kitchen roof and sidewalls, the laigh Hall and the turnpike are whitened. Cupboards are painted and shelves gilded, 1709-1710. GD 150/3269/22-23x

Repair of the Physic well. Receipted account Thomas Samuel to (James) Watson of Saughton, 1770. GD 150/3289/30

Harling the East and South fronts of Old Saughton House. Account and receipt Charles Smith, mason, 1787. GD 150/3321/25-26x

(-) 'Sundrie Plans' of gates. Receipt from Alexander Wallace for ?1.90.0 received from James Watson Esq., 1818. GD 150/3358

Work at Saughton has ceased meantime by James Watson's request. Letter from James Wyllie accepts the decision but points out the difficulty of keeping his team of workers together till such a time as work was recommended. He wishes the work measured and payment made. 20, May 1737. GD 150/3525/19

Sketch of a mineral well to be built by James Wyllie for James Watson of Saughton on his land.

Letter states the cost at ?15.10.0. James Watson is to provide the stone, 5th November, 1740. GD 150/3525/25/1 and 2.

VITRUVIUS SCOTICUS:

See Plates 116 and 117 (plans and elevations) (EDD 271/1 and EDD 271/2 respectively).

OLD EDINBURGH CLUB: VOL III p.193-99 Details illustrated

NATIONAL LIBRARY: 'Midlothian Village' by G. UPton Selway (1890).#

SOURCES:

SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE

GD 150/3254/24 DIscharge and Obligement, 1677. Edward Cleghorne, mason, Corstorphine for David Watson of Saughton, for building his whole dykes about his house and for building a new house in the ground.

GD 150/3525/25/1 and 2. Letter and drawing. Minetral well to be built by James Wyllie for James Watson of Saughton on his land. Estimate ?15.10.0. James Watson to provide stone, 1740. Circular with ogee roof, crest in pediment and urn on top.

NMRS Reference.

Edinburgh, Saughton (Old) House.

Sketches in Wood Sketch book II.

Missing at time of upgrade, 2.1.2000.

Activities

Field Visit (21 September 1920)

Old Saughton House.

This fine 17th century mansion, about 1 mile west of Gorgie [NT 204 713], which was furnished with enriched plaster ceilings and panelled woodwork, was lately completely destroyed by fire.

RCAHMS 1929, visited 21 September 1920

OS map: iii SW

Archaeological Evaluation (September 2012)

NT 20377 71224 (centred on) A trial trenching evaluation was carried out in September 2012 at the site of the former school. A total of 16 trenches, amounting to 870m2 were excavated. No finds or features of archaeological significance were recorded.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: Cruden Homes (East) Ltd

Helena Gray, CFA Archaeology Ltd, 2013

(Source: DES)

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