Coach House, Cairnbank House, Duns

Coach House, Cairnbank House, Duns

This is a substantial later 18th-century classical house with a later coach house and stable, located on an estate near Duns. The main house underwent principal alterations in 1855, when single-bay flanking pavilions were added.

The Main House

The house is a 2-storey structure with an attic and basement, arranged as a 3-bay single-pile central block with the 1855 pavilion additions. The south-east elevation displays squared sandstone with droved ashlar dressings. The north-west and side elevations are of rubble sandstone with droved ashlar dressings, and a later harled addition has been made to the north-west corner at the rear.

The architectural detail is refined throughout. An eaves course runs along the central 3-bay section. The pavilions feature a base course, a band course between levels, and a cill course to their distinctive canted windows. Pilaster quoins, a cornice and blocking course distinguish the pavilion bays, which are slightly advanced from the central block. The pavilion windows are dressed with polished ashlar.

The south-east elevation is the principal façade. Eight ashlar steps with an ornamental cast-iron sweeping handrail lead to a deep-set, consoled and pedimented panelled door with a rectangular plate glass fanlight above. A carved plaque on the lintel reads "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord". The first-floor window above has a pediment with a roundel and pedestal finial. A basement window and a Venetian window at ground floor serve the flanking bays, with a first-floor window above each. The pavilion bays feature canted windows with basement and ground-floor windows to each.

The south-west elevation contains two ground-floor windows. The north-west elevation is complex, with a half-piended single-storey sandstone addition to the centre, featuring a boarded door to its south-west return and a window to the north-west. A staircase window sits slightly off-line above. The outer bays have irregularly disposed windows at each floor level, including basement. A bipartite window and boarded porch are present to the right (south-west) pavilion, while the left (north-east) pavilion has a window and is adjoined by a 2-storey harled addition with a further single-storey monopitch addition. The north-east elevation shows a basement window at the centre and to the outer right, and a ground-floor window to the right.

The windows are of varied timber sash-and-case construction. The basement of the south-east elevation has 12-pane lying-pane windows; lying-pane windows also serve the canted pavilion windows and side elevations. A piended slate roof with swept eaves covers the central block; the pavilions have half-piended roofs. Piended canted dormers rise from the outer bays of the central section. Modern skylights have been inserted to the centre and to the right pavilion, with a 2-pane skylight to the centre of the north-west elevation. Two chimney stacks flank the central bay: one of ashlar with coping, one rendered. A rendered shouldered wallhead stack stands at the centre of the south-west and north-east elevations. The south-west pavilion retains a rainwater hopper dated 1855 at the rear.

Interior

The interior contains a hall running continuously along the south-east elevation with fine plasterwork. Panelled doors, shutters and timber stair banisters remain in situ. High-relief plasterwork enriches the pavilion rooms. The south-west pavilion principal room has a white marble chimneypiece; the north-east pavilion principal room has a black marble chimneypiece.

The Coach House

The coach house is a rubble L-plan building situated to the west of the main house. Its north-east elevation return wall comprises 3 bays with a single-storey 1-bay half-piended addition to the outer left. A first-floor window occupies the centre. The left bay contains a boarded door with a blinded window at first floor above, and the adjacent bay has a boarded stable door with a first-floor window above. The addition has a boarded door and an engaged drumpier with rounded coping.

The south-east elevation return wall is 2 bays, featuring segmental-arched coach sheds with two boarded doors to each. A first-floor window between the bays breaks the eaves and sits within a skewed gable. The north-west elevation of this return shows a first-floor window to the centre.

The main north-west elevation is 3 bays. At the centre is a later harled monopitch porch with 7 steps leading to a modern first-floor door. A stone-inserted blinded cruciform opening with trefoil-ended arms occupies the centre, while a harled stair porch stands in the right bay. Windows at ground and first floors serve the right bay.

The south-west elevation is 3 bays. A boarded door at ground to the centre has a first-floor window above. A blinded window and a first-floor window appear in the left bay. A rubble addition projects from between the centre and right bays, with a blinded door to the outer left of the north-west return wall (with brick segmental-arched lintel). The right bay contains a first-floor window and a boarded door at ground to the outer right. The addition has an entrance on this elevation.

The Stable

The stable lies to the south-east of the coach house and is built of rubble sandstone with droved ashlar dressings. The south-east elevation is blank except for a window at the centre. The north-east elevation has a boarded door just right of centre, a window to the left of centre, and a blinded window at first floor above the centre. The north-west elevation features a boarded door with an 8-pane rectangular fanlight above, positioned left of centre, and a window to the right. A monopitch single-storey addition extends from the outer right. The roof is of jerkin-headed slate with 2-pane skylights to the south-east. A truncated ashlar wallhead stack stands at the centre of the south-west elevation.

The Gatepiers

Square-plan coped ashlar gatepiers adjoin a sweeping dwarf wall. These lead to chamfered square-plan gatepiers flanking the drive, which are decorated with ornamental coping.