Howford House

Howford House is a farmhouse dating from 1839-1840, built for Mr Thomas Salton, who was a tenant of the Traquair Estate. The house was constructed by Robert Lochie and Robert Hall, of Galashiels, and Robert Ritchie, of Reston, who were masons. The main building is a 2-storey and basement, 3-bay rectangular structure in a classical style, with a rear servants' wing. It features giant angle pilasters, a slightly projecting central bay with a raised block pediment and classical portico, a base and band course, prominent eaves cornices, and a parapet. The front elevation is in polished ashlar, while the sides and servants’ wing are harled with tabbed ashlar windows.

The northeast (principal) elevation has a slightly projecting central bay with three stone steps leading to a Tuscan-Doric columned doorpiece, with windows to the flanking bays. The first floor has three regularly placed bays, surmounted by a full-length corniced parapet rising into a block pediment above the central bay. The northwest elevation features giant angle pilasters meeting the base and band courses and forming slightly recessed rectangular panels; there are two widely spaced tabbed windows on each floor. The southwest (rear) elevation was not visible in 2002. The southeast elevation displays the main house with giant angle pilasters that meet the base and band courses, forming recessed rectangular panels, as well as two widely spaced tabbed windows on each floor. A symmetrical, 2-storey, 4-bay servants’ wing adjoins the main house and is located to the centre and left. The servants' wing has three stone steps leading to a boarded timber door in bays 1 and 4, with a window featuring a projecting sill in bays 2 and 3 (a smaller window is adjacent to the left of the third bay). The first floor of the servants' wing has four regularly placed bays, aligned with the ground floor.

The house has 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows and a semi-glazed timber panelled entrance door with a rectangular leaded diamond quarry fanlight. There are 2-pane cast-iron Carron lights to the roof of the main house. The roof is piended and platformed, with slate covering, lead ridging and flashing. Ten tall hexagonal ashlar stacks are located in the centre of the main roof, divided into two blocks of five, all with projecting neck copes and decorated cans. Smaller, plain rectangular ashlar stacks are on the servants' wing, previously with paired cans (some of which are now missing). Painted cast-iron rainwater goods are present with concealed gutters.

The interior includes well-proportioned rooms, a hall with an original stone staircase, and a drawing room with a classical fireplace. There are also many timber panelled doors and skirting boards, as well as cornicing and ceiling roses.

The property is approached by three square ashlar gatepiers with projecting neck copes and pyramidal caps, sited to provide foot and carriage entrances. These are flanked by three painted wrought-iron spearheaded gates with plain dogbars.