Houston Mill, East Linton

Houston Mill in East Linton is primarily an 18th-century farmhouse and mill complex, although some elements may be older. The site has undergone many alterations and is listed mainly for its historical significance as the home of Andrew Meikle (1719-1811), the inventor of the water-powered threshing machine.

The farmhouse is a two-storey, three-bay structure with a later wing added to the left and modern additions attached to both gables. It is built of rubble with raised ashlar margins, likely originally harled; the gables are harled. The main house features modern glazing, purple slate roofing, while the additions have red pantiles and harled stacks.

On the front (northwest) elevation, there is a later 19th-century gabled porch at the center with windows on either side, and three windows on the first floor. To the right, there is a modern slated conservatory addition, and to the left, a single-storey wing that adjoins the harled modern advanced addition. The rear of the farmhouse has two windows on the ground floor, with the right side enlarged to accommodate glazed doors, and three windows on the first floor.

The mill and steading, located to the northwest, have also been significantly altered. This range of single-storey buildings runs southeast to northeast, with one now functioning as a cottage, the central range serving as a byre, and a two-storey mill at the northeastern end. The buildings are constructed of rubble with some brick alterations, and some original openings feature brick lintels. A breast-shot waterwheel that once existed at the northeast gable no longer survives, but there was a window above it on the first floor. The east elevation has been much altered and now includes a large slapping, topped with a corrugated sheet metal roof.