5 The Stables And Clocktower, Newbattle Abbey

5 The Stables And Clocktower, Newbattle Abbey

This is a substantial complex of early 19th-century date that was extended in the mid 19th century and significantly altered in 1873 by the architect David Bryce. The building began as a single wing orientated south-west to north-east, but was developed into an L-shaped coach house and stable complex arranged around a central courtyard. In 1873, Bryce added a T-plan coachman's house to the south-east, which is now known as 1 Riverside Cottage. The stables were converted into 2-storey houses around 1990.

The building is constructed primarily of sandstone rubble with varying finishes. The south-west elevation of the north-west to south-east wing employs rubble stone, becoming snecked where it meets No. 1. The north-east (courtyard) elevation of this same wing shows stugged, squared and coursed sandstone, while the remainder of No. 1 is rubble. The north-west elevation of the south-west to north-east wing displays stugged and tooled sandstone rubble, with stugged and snecked stone to the south-east (courtyard) elevation and north-east gable. The complex is further distinguished by a clock tower and arched carriage openings facing the courtyard.

South-West (Front) Elevation

Two cottages occupy the left portion, with long and short droved and stugged dressings around openings and irregular fenestration. Four gabled dormers break the eaves line, each with stone coping; two flat-roofed dormer windows and a first-floor loft door (now converted to a window) sit above No. 2's door. An advanced bay to the right displays chamfered ashlar window surrounds to two ground-floor windows, topped by a bracketed, moulded stone cornice and a central first-floor window with painted lugged surrounds. A gable rises above with overhanging eaves, decorative timber bargeboard, brackets and a pendant. A single bay set back to the right has obscured ground-floor fenestration behind a garden wall but features a first-floor window with painted lugged surrounds. This bay is marked by an '18 L 73' (Lothian) datestone bearing a coronet, with a decorative timber bargeboard, bracket and pendant beneath its gable. A further bay, set even further back and similarly obscured by garden wall, comprises rubble walling with tall chamfered square piers and replacement timber gates.

North-West Elevation

No. 3 Riverside Cottage sits set back at the far right. Modern glazed doors provide access, with four ground-floor windows and four gabled dormer windows breaking the eaves, each with stone coping. A single-storey piended extension adjoins No. 5.

North-East Elevation

No. 5 Riverside Cottage displays three regularly positioned ground-floor windows with three smaller first-floor windows centred above. The courtyard elevations of Nos. 1–3 feature five recessed arches with ashlar surrounds and ashlar and stugged voussoirs, separated by a band course. A central door sits within coursed ashlar framing, surrounded by three arches; windows occupy the alternate arches with intersecting stone mullions. The first floor contains a mix of alternate mullioned 4-pane windows and 6-pane sash and case windows, all with horns and raised long and short ashlar surrounds. A breaking eaves flat-roofed dormer window sits at No. 1 to the left. An advanced two-bay gable to the left features two single ground-floor windows and a central mullioned window above; its apex bears a plaque inscribed with a coronet and the initials EWL (Earl William of Lothian) and CAL (Countess Ann of Lothian), with plain timber bargeboard. A bay set back to the left, partially visible, displays three dormers with decorative bargeboards and pendants; an advanced gabled porch with decorative timber bargeboards and pendant projects forward.

South-East Elevation

The north-east to south-west wing begins with a glazed door to the far left, followed by a glazed door and tracery window with stone mullions in an arch. Three open arches to the right form a colonnade with doors and glazed panels behind; these arches feature raised ashlar and stugged surrounds and voussoirs. Single first-floor windows, centred above the arches, display raised ashlar surrounds. An advanced clock tower stands to the right, marked by long and short quoins, an arched doorway with recessed door, and a narrow window above at first-floor level. The corbelled third stage contains a narrow window and clock face in each tower elevation, each with a hollow chamfered hoodmould. The south-east elevation of No. 1 includes a ground-floor bay window, a central mullioned window, single windows to returns, and a first-floor window to the right. Its apex bears an '18 L 73' (Lothian) datestone with coronet, surmounted by a gabled wallhead with overhanging eaves, decorative timber bargeboards, brackets, a pendant and finial.

Fenestration and Roofing

The windows throughout are predominantly 12-pane and 6-pane timber sash and case windows with horns. Rooflights pierce the rear elevations of Nos. 2–5. Modern timber and glazed replacement doors are installed throughout. The roof is covered in slate with a lead ridge; raised stone coped skews mark the junctions between houses, supported by bracketed skewputts (broken in places by guttering). Cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative hoppers are present throughout, though UPVC guttering has been installed to No. 1.

The clock tower features a broach spire of lead with louvered construction, surmounted by a ball finial and weathervane. No. 1 retains two spiral clay chimney ridge stacks; Nos. 2–4 have diagonally-set replacement square stacks. No. 5 has a piended roof and north-west wallhead stack; a wallhead chimney also rises from the right return of No. 1 and the north-east gable.

Interiors were not examined during the time of survey in 1999.