Steading, Blackadder Mount

Steading, Blackadder Mount

A substantial farmstead designed by Alexander Boswell in 1785, with later alterations and additions. The complex forms a U-plan steading court with a later stable range projecting to the rear to create a second court. A clock tower rises at the centre of the north range, originally crowned with a lead-clad steeple (removed in 1991). The buildings are constructed in squared and snecked sandstone, with harled additions to the east range and a recent single-storey addition to the south end of the west elevation.

The east range contains a granary and hayloft at its north end, a dairy at the south, and a dwelling occupying five bays to the outer face. The courtyard elevation extends thirteen bays, grouped irregularly as 3-1-4-1-3-1 (mostly single-storey except for a two-storey section of 3-1 bays at the south). The four-bay group features an irregularly disposed arrangement with a boarded door in the inner left bay, flanked to the left by a barred window. A small high barred opening sits in the inner right bay. A duck entrance with an ashlar shelf and slatted sliding door sits near ground level between bays. A pend entrance with boarded door occupies the outer right bay. The three-bay group to the outer left shows a piended hay-loft dormer breaking the eaves above a centrally placed boarded door, with windows to flanking bays (one formerly a door, now partly blinded). The three-bay group to the right features raised polished ashlar margins to windows and flush quoins, with symmetrically arranged first-floor windows. A modern addition of 1994 overlaps the ground floor to the centre and right bay. The south elevation is harled with a modern four-leaf French window at ground level. The east elevation exhibits bays grouped 1-3-2-2-1-1, with the northernmost six bays in rubble including whinstone. A later 19th-century single-storey addition of stugged ashlar with droved ashlar dressings occupies part of this elevation. Further lean-to additions with tooled ashlar dressings contain window openings and boarded doors.

The north range features a symmetrical nine-bay courtyard elevation in ashlar. A round-arched opening to the centre carries a raised band at impost level, with a square-plan tower rising above eaves height and a band course at eaves level. The tower's second stage is octagonal with ashlar urns to the chamfered elevations (missing to the south-west and north-west); a clock sits on the south elevation under a corbelled broken pediment, with additional clocks on the west, east and south faces. The fourth stage steps inward octagonally with a round-arched window to the south (blinded on the chamfered elevations). Originally, segmental arched openings sat at ground level in each bay of the flanking four-bay groups; these are now variously boarded or fitted with modern metal doors and strip windows. Wyatt windows with blinded flanking lights and louvred centres sit at first-floor level above the flanking bays and between inner bays. The north elevation shows a similar arrangement, with a lean-to open shed to the left of centre and a Therma window to the outer left. Ground level has been raised to first-floor level with a door opening.

The west range formerly housed a cow byre, barn and threshing barn to the north end. It has been much altered with roof and walls largely removed. A range to the north end, dated 1877, forms a single-storey structure with curvilinear gables in stugged ashlar with droved ashlar dressings. A round-arched entrance opening sits to the south. The west elevation contains advanced gabled bays with boarded doors and fanlight windows; the east elevation extends five bays with windows, except for a round-arched opening in the gabled bay to the outer left. This interior now functions as a workshop and formerly served as a working-horse stable (tack shafts remain) and later as a piggery.

Throughout, the windows are twelve-pane and plate glass timber sash and case designs, with twelve-pane timber sash and case windows to the tower. The roof is slated. The courtyard itself is paved with setts and features an octagonal stugged ashlar coped wall at the centre, topped with a wrought and cast-iron arrow-head fence and gate incorporating a specially-designed duck hole, with a pond occupying the centre.