Crichton Manse

Crichton Manse is a substantial two-storey house dating from 1758, with a significant addition and alterations carried out in the 19th century. The building sits on falling ground with a raised basement and comprises a five-bay principal block with a two-storey addition to the west.

The manse is constructed in pink sandstone random rubble with ashlar dressings and droved quoins. Some relieving arches are visible, while the basement area and wall head are built in yellow sandstone rubble. The roof is graded grey slate with overhanging eaves and features wallhead stone stacks.

The principal (east) elevation displays an ashlar porch with chamfered angles, a cornice and blocking course framing the central doorway, which sits on steps that overhang the basement. The door itself is four-panelled with a rectangular plate glass fanlight and glazed sides topped by a cupola. A wall-mounted sundial with gnomon is positioned above, though partly obscured by the cupola. The flanking bays contain small windows on each floor, with those to the right blinded. The outer bays have regular windows. A rubble parapet with a single ashlar pier to the left edges the steps.

The west (garden) elevation is three-bays wide with a gabled two-storey addition projecting from the centre. The outer bays have glazed doors to the basement and regular fenestration above. The central gabled addition features two basement windows and a tripartite window to the principal floor (possibly enlarged from a single window in the 19th century with stone renewed in 1994). A wall-mounted sundial adorns the gablehead, beneath which rises a stack. Two canted 19th-century dormers project above the outer bays.

The north (side) elevation contains a window to the left at ground floor and two new windows at first floor. The rear projection presents almost blank elevations, with an opening to the basement on the left and a window to the far left of the principal floor.

The south elevation features a modern conservatory or greenhouse at ground floor level. A wall-mounted sundial sits at first floor, with a small attic window to its left beside the gablehead. The rear addition has a basement window and principal floor window to the left, with two irregular basement windows and a window above at the right.

Windows throughout are small-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case frames. The interior retains some good plasterwork cornices and a simple stone chimneypiece, with boarded dado to the bathroom.

A fine wrought-iron arrowhead railing lines the basement area to the principal elevation.

The outbuildings comprise a single-storey gabled random rubble structure positioned to the north-west, featuring square dressings, a door and four-pane square window to the north elevation, a six-pane window to the west gable, gablehead stack and graded slate roof with ashlar coped skews. A lean-to stone shed adjoins to the east. A rubble sandstone garden wall with coping and pedestrian gateway bounds the property.

Of particular historical interest is the unusual survival of three wall-mounted sundials across the building. The Statistical Account of Scotland dated the manse to 1758, noting it required "a small repair" to be made into "an excellent house". The New Statistical Account of 1839 records that these improvements had taken place by August of that year, describing the manse as "in very good repair" and noting it was supported by between six and seven acres of glebe. Crichton Kirk stands to the south-east.