Braehead Road, Braehead Court

NS 59783 55422 Braehead Farm. An upstanding building and photographic survey was carried out of Braehead Farm within an area that was a fermtoun on the N side of Thorntonhall. The John Thomson’s Atlas of 1832 shows Braehead and the following surveyed buildings below. By the 1st Edition OS map, an L-shaped building of Braehead Farm is depicted with a smaller building to the E. The 2nd Edition OS map shows the L-shaped building with an eastern building that has been extended and almost joining the eastern side of the L-shape forming a courtyard facing S to a pre-improved road running off Braehead road. A covered gin mill is also shown. The buildings today show different stonework finishes. Bulges and stone work in the walling in the E building show where the later building joined a very small building shown to the S on the 1856 map. Although today the farm has been modernised certain features could be identified, cart shed, hayloft, byres and barns within the buildings. The farmhouse has an elaborate central entrance facing S with moulded sandstone architraves. The entrance is surrounded on both sides by sandstone pilasters topped with Ionian details. Between the Ionian carved details are small, carved, rosettes. A modern portico with an entrance into the N side of the building covers an area that was part of the washhouse with an internal well, the washhouse extended from the building to the NW as shown on the 1911 and 1958 maps. Within the apex of the gable end of the later extended eastern side is a marriage lintel inscribed ‘RK 1769 AP’.

NS 59742 55381 Braehead House. An upstanding building and photographic survey was carried out of Braehead House. Braehead House lies facing Braehead Road immediately to the W of Braehead Farm. Two old buildings with extensions to the N are seen running along the edge of the Braehead Road on the 1st Edition OS map. Still in evidence today within these buildings there is a blocked-up window re-cut into the stonework as well as all the original window openings, a bulge where the two buildings meet and skew putts. The first building internally (now a modern garage) has evidence of the blocked- up window, a possible ventilation slot and a blocked-up door opening to the W. Continuing westwards on the N side is the current entrance. To the W of this, a building extends to the N with a later mansard roof, which was originally pitched, butted onto this is a further building of random rubble running to the N. The building returns back to the W and then S to a later extension. This W side of the building has evidence of an original window opening, now a door. To the W of the buildings the random rubble walling facing the road has evidence of a possible butt joint, blocked-up window and a blocked up doorway with sandstone lintel.

NS 59474 55371 Braeview Cottage (Originally Ivy Cottage

as seen in the Disposition of 1857). An upstanding building and photographic survey was carried out of Braeview Cottage. Braeview Cottage faces Braehead Road. The cottage is built of dressed sandstone ashlar blocks while the N side is random rubble construction. The E end has an extension butted onto the main house, which, though it has the same finish as the main section of the house, may have been built later. A modern porch of dressed sandstone ashlar blocks has been built on the footprint of the earlier porches as seen in earlier photographs of the building. Embedded into the side of the E extension is half of a rotary quern.

NS 59445 55362 Yewtree House. An upstanding building

and photographic survey was carried out of Yewtree House. Yewtree House faces Braehead Road and lies adjacent to the W of Braeview Cottage. The owners of the building were of the opinion that the house was built by 1885. The building to the S and W has stucco lined-off as ashlar finish. Above the lower mullion windows, on either side of the door opening, are gable window dormers. The gables have a wooden spiked finial above the apex. The original building has been extended upwards; the evidence of this is seen on the W and N sides of the building.

NS 59867 55410 Kingsknowe. An upstanding building and photographic survey was carried out of Kingsknowe. Kingsknowe lies between two pre-improved roads, which converge, one to the NNE and Braehead road to the W and SW. As advised by the building’s owner the main building of Kingsknowe, first noted in 1830, and built by 1835, is orientated in a NNE/SSW direction and built of dressed sandstone ashlar blocks. The original buildings from 1830 would have been single storey with an upper floor added later. The front and NE facing side of the building has one bay window to the W, above is a wallhead dormer with wooden sash and case window with pitched roof. The door opening has decorative moulded sandstone jambs from the top of the dressed quoins. To the left of the door opening, this decoration is seen on a mullion window, again a wallhead dormer with wooden sash and case window with pitched roof is seen above. To the E of the main building was a building shown on the 2nd Edition OS map; today these two building have been joined together by a later extension. The E side of this building appears to show original features including a blocked-up window. Again, this building to the rear shows that it has been butted onto later extensions. The original building is seen again on the SW rear side showing the original windows with droven quoins. The W facing gable end of the building has evidence of where one or two buildings may have butted onto the side of the gable. The owner reported that, when laying services to a nearby shed, he had uncovered flagstones at the side of the gable about 0.6m down, possibly the floor of the postulated structure above. The owner’s son noted that the sandstone of the bay window differed from that in the main structure of the house and came from a different quarry source, suggesting that the bay had been constructed when the upper floor was added.

Susan Hunter, Kenneth Mallard and Janie Munro – Association of Certificated Field Archaeologists

(Source: DES Vol 22)