Bridge, Manse, Polwarth Church

Possibly later 18th century in origin with substantial earlier 19th century additions and alterations, this is a 2-storey, 5-bay classical former manse set at Polwarth Church. The main front comprises a grouped arrangement of 2-1-2 bays with shallow bows and flanking single storey pavilions. A 2-storey range is centred at the rear, forming a near T-plan, with various single storey additions to the sides.

The front and sides are finished in coursed cream sandstone ashlar with channelled treatment at ground level. The rear is harl-pointed rubble sandstone with tooled rubble dressings. A raised base course runs across the front with a raised string course above. The front and sides feature corniced eaves; the flanking pavilions have parapets. Windows are fitted with panelled aprons beneath them, and corniced surrounds frame the first-floor windows. Tripartite windows have narrow side-lights. The rear elevation has rubble quoins and long and short surrounds to openings, with projecting cills.

The symmetrical entrance front (south-east elevation) is centred with a timber panelled door beneath a border-glazed fanlight. The doorpiece is elaborately detailed with engaged fluted columns, a plain frieze, and a heavy cornice. A tripartite window with narrow side-lights showing painted imitation glazing is aligned at first-floor level. Full-height 2-bay flanking bows contain single windows in all bays at both floors, with painted imitation glazing in the outer bays at first-floor level. Single storey pavilions recessed to the outer left and right each contain tripartite windows.

The south-west side elevation shows a 2-storey, 2-bay house with painted imitation windows at both floors in the outer bay. A projecting single storey pavilion is adjoined at ground level to the left, with a later facade protruding to the right and a single window at first-floor level. A 2-storey, 2-bay wing recessed to the outer left has a single window at ground offset to the right of centre, and single windows in both bays at first-floor level.

The north-west rear elevation features a 2-storey wing projecting at the centre with a single window centred at ground level. A small-paned door in a recessed bay to the right has a 6-pane fanlight. A bowed projection sits in the re-entrant angle to the right. A single storey piended pavilion is advanced to the outer right with a lean-to addition offset to the right. Single storey additions are recessed to the left of centre with a single window at first-floor level. A single storey, 2-bay piended range adjoins the taller pavilion to the outer left.

The north-east side elevation shows a 2-storey, 2-bay house with painted imitation windows at both floors in the outer bay. A projecting single storey pavilion is adjoined at ground level to the right, with a later facade protruding to the left and a single window at first-floor level. A lower single storey range adjoins the pavilion to the right. A 2-storey, 2-bay wing recessed to the outer right has a modern tripartite window at ground level to the left, a single storey addition to the right, and single windows in both bays at first-floor level.

The windows throughout are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case. Roofs are covered in grey slate with piended profiles. Ridge stacks in the main block are corniced ashlar and centred; tall stepped ridge and apex stacks project from the left and right pavilions respectively. A later brick-built ridge stack serves the rear wing. Rainwater goods are cast-iron, with predominantly circular cans.

The interior vestibule contains a patterned tile floor and 2-leaf part-glazed timber panelled inner doors. The staircase features timber treads, decorative iron uprights, and a timber handrail. Ground floor cornices are adorned with foliate, egg-and-dart and key pattern motifs. The remainder of the interior was not seen at the time of survey in 1998.

To the north-west is a single storey U-plan steading in harl-pointed red rubble sandstone with tooled rubble dressings and droved quoins. Long and short surrounds frame the openings.

The north-west range, on its south-east courtyard elevation, is a 4-bay structure with a modern small-paned tripartite door in a bay offset to the left of centre; a boarded timber door in a bay offset to the right; and single windows in the outer bays. Gabled ranges project to the outer left and right, each with a boarded timber door centred at ground level. The left gabled range has a square-headed pigeon opening beneath the apex; the right has a gablehead stack. On its north-west rear elevation, a piended wallhead dormer is offset to the left of centre (now blocked), with two stable doors offset to the right and a small opening between them.

The north-east range, on its south-west courtyard elevation, has a part-ventilated window to the outer right. Its north-east rear elevation is a 2-bay arrangement with a 2-leaf segmental-arched boarded timber cartshed door in the left bay and a part-glazed 2-leaf square-headed boarded timber door to the right.

The south-west range, on its north-east courtyard elevation, is a 3-bay structure with boarded timber doors in 2 bays to the right and a single window in the bay to the left. Its south-west rear elevation has a small opening at the centre.

The steading is fitted with small-pane timber casement glazing and small rooflights. Grey slate piended roofs with stone ridging are topped with cast-iron rainwater goods. The interiors contain stables and byres with cobbled floors, rubble walls (whitewashed in part), and open timber roofs with predominantly modern stalls. The remainder was not seen in 1998.

A coped, harl-pointed rubble walled garden encloses a near square-plan area to the south-west of the house, with a lower wall on the south-east side. Within it stands a square-plan sundial dated 1786 (?). A heavily pointed rubble terrace wall forming a ha-ha sits in front of the house, with stone steps linking the upper and lower levels.

The bridge is constructed from heavily-pointed red rubble sandstone and forms part of the drive spanning Kirk Burn. It has squared rubble coping and small round-arched openings. Square-plan gatepiers adjoining the bridge are finished in coursed red sandstone with droved finish and chamfered angles. They are topped with shallow pyramidal caps, though the gates are missing.