Letter Box, 11 Newlandrig

Letter Box, 11 Newlandrig

A mid 18th century cottage of two storeys and three bays with a traditional rectangular plan, built in random rubble with polished sandstone dressings. Later 20th century additions have been made to the rear.

The principal north-west elevation is near-symmetrical, with a two-leaf panelled timber door at centre dated "1629" (a later addition by the present owner and bearing no relation to the house itself). The door is flanked by windows in the outer bays, with a small four-pane timber window between the door and the outer right bay, and a blocked opening between the door and the outer left bay. The first floor has regular fenestration. The north-east elevation features a stone roofed ingleneuk centred at ground level with a six-pane timber window to the centre and a small window to the south-east elevation, with irregular modern fenestration at first floor. The south-east elevation was not seen during the 1997 inspection. The south-west elevation is obscured by an adjoining building.

Throughout the building, windows are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. The roof is covered in red pantiles with a terracotta ridge, stone skews, cast iron rainwater goods, and coped gablehead stacks with circular cans.

The interior contains a timber panelled and white-painted ingleneuk with a stone central flue (probably not original) and fireplace. A stone arch spans over a window, with a small ventilation hole below to the right and small square recesses in the left and right walls. The remainder of the interior was not seen in 1997.

A boundary wall of random rubble with semi-circular coping stands to the north-east of the house. Set within this wall is an Edward VII era (1901-1910) wall letter box, Type "C", made by T Allen & Co., London.

The village of Newlandrig, also known as Newlandtown, was established by James Dewar of Vogrie in 1751 in moorland that was surrounded by turf, which was used to roof houses until the early 19th century. The ingleneuk is dated circa 1580, and it is possible that a building of this period was incorporated into the existing 18th century structure when Dewar established the village, with the height and width subsequently increased and the flue altered. The ingleneuk was later converted into a toilet and closed off from the main living area, but has recently been opened up with the fireplace, flue and original fenestration style restored.

Ingleneuks such as this were common in 17th and 18th century Scotland, though the earliest known example dates from the 16th century at Lochend House, Restalrig in Lothian. These recessed spaces provided warm seating areas around the fire within a larger room. They may have emerged to reduce fire risk by being enclosed away from main rooms, or as a vernacular interpretation of medieval kitchen fireplaces found in Scottish tower houses. Their large dimensions allowed rapid smoke removal with a slow draught that extinguished sparks before they escaped the tall flue. Small windows in the back and sides provided both light and a view, and interiors were often painted white to reflect firelight, allowing occupants to see while spinning or sewing.