Torphichen, The Square, Jubilee Well

TORPHICHEN

Situated on a sheltered plain, away from all post-roads or thoroughfares, and once a place of great importance as it is of high antiquity, it now consists of only a few cottages, and has a straggling and deserted appearance. Thus Torphichen in 1843. Fortune has come to the village with the motorcar, as the luscious, wooded west-facing slope overlooking much of central Scotland has become an object of desire for commuters. The natural focus is the octagonal Jubilee Fountain, 1897, in the centre of the village, known as The Square, flanked by unpretentious harled or whinstone houses and cottages. The dark-edged white-harled Torphichen Inn has been greatly extended beyond its original simplicity. Note the bay windows of Glebe House and Rock Cottages, 1963, by Reiach & Hall, in harling with timber panels. Reasonable infill in village style by various housing associations in 1990s shows some continuity of architectural tradition.

Taken from "West Lothian: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Stuart Eydmann, Richard Jaques and Charles McKean, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk