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Summary

Description

Dated 1624, with early 18th century alterations. 2-storey, attic and garret, 3-bay, rectangular plan laird's house, with stair tower and later service additions in re-entrant angle. Rubble with orange harling and ashlar dressings, rounded arrises. Attic windows breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads.

N ELEVATION: 3 bays grouped towards centre; rectangular stair tower projecting at centre; deep surround to doorway at foot, with bead and hollow moulding; decorative armorial panel above, dated and with initials "GH" and "AH"; small stair window and window to garret bedroom above; gablehead stack. Single storey and attic service bay set in re-entrant angle to left, with small square window at ground and attic window above; catslide roof. Corbelled circular stair turret set in re-entrant angle to right, on squinch with tiny lights below eaves of conical roof, sweeping into main roof. Window to each floor to right, with dormerhead again to attic window, breaking eaves. Early 18th century stone stair with sweeping stone balustrade added at centre, leading ot French doors intended in former window of principal floor; windows to each flanking bay at ech floor, and further dormerhead window to attic at centre.

E ELEVATION: 2-bay; small window to centre at ground; window to each bay in floors above, including garret.

W ELEVATION: 2-bays; outbuilding adjoined at ground; windows to each bay in principal and attic floors.

12-pane and other small-pane glazing patterns in sash and case windows. Steeply pitched gables with ashlar crowsteps and beak skewputts. Ashlar end and ridge stacks. Grey slates.

INTERIOR: kitchen ad office at ground; 17th century ribbed plaster ceiling in drawing room; early 18th century pine panelling throughout.

WALLED GARDEN, RETAINING WALLS AND GATEPIERS: rectangular garden bwith high rubble, harl pointed walls, continuous with retaining walls to N, and with sections of rounded coping. 2 pairs of square bee-bole recesses set in N wall of garden, S side. Lean-to toolsheds outside garden at N, garden gateway flanking with ashlar surround. Quadrant walls with ashlar coping to driveways. Rusticated ashlar gatepiers.

DOVECOT: 1624. Lectern dovecot, 19' x 17' in plan, set within walled garden to S of mansion. Rubble with ashlar rat course and coping. Doorway to S with relieving arch; square openings above rat course to S, E and W. 1000 stone nesting boxes in interior.

Statement of Special Interest

William Cairns was the 1st owner of pilmuir, and it is his initials and those of his wife which are set in the armorial panel. Pilmuir provides an excellent, minimally altered example of a 17th century laird's house, on a par with Fountainhall, Pencaitland parish. The Lodge is listed separately.

References

Bibliography

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