Milnholm Fish Hatchery

Dated 1881. Brown trout and salmon hatchery, purpose built for Sir James Maitland. 2-storey, roughly rectangular-plan with stepped E and W elevations. Yellow brick with ashlar window surrounds and quoins. Raised brickwork to upper 3 courses of wallhead with chamfered base and surmounted by slightly overhanging ashlar coping. Flat concrete and asphalt roof. Wallhead steps down from N to S following slope of land.

Entrance at W, reached from footbridge (see separate listing); roll-moulded, architraved ashlar door surround. Regular fenestration to E and W elevations, fixed windows with chamfered stone mullions, some windows 'glazed? with wire mesh. Single 4-pane timber sash and case window to left of door with datestone above. 3 window-less bays to S divided by pilaster-strips. Modern extension to N.

INTERIOR: entrance door opens onto landing with doorway ahead leading to upper floor (white glazed tile door surround, detail also found at lower floor and at Howietoun Fishery), open well stone stair to left. Decorative cast iron balusters to stairs (painted green), timber handrail and moulded ashlar pilaster newel hinting at classical design. Ashlar pilaster also in corner at upper and lower floor of stairwell. Both floors slope downhill from N to S following the gradient of the land. Entire upper floor given over to fibreglass fish tanks, apart from small office room to NE (now used for storage) with moulded ashlar fire surround and plastered walls. Fireplace also in small office room directly below. 2 large rooms to lower floor with larger plastic fish tanks. Both floors supported on cast iron columns and beams. Glazed white tiles to walls divided by ashlar pilaster-strips. Concrete floor to upper floor; remains of original black and red tiles at lower floor. Some original pipework remains including lead pipes (boxed in timber). No original wooden tanks survive.