Fern Cottage, Main Road, Ardentinny

Fern Cottage, Main Road, Ardentinny

This group of early 19th century cottages stands at the northern end of Ardentinny village, facing east towards the sea, and makes a significant contribution to the village streetscape. The group comprises four cottages arranged in a row, together with a former school building at the north end. The cottages' early date and their contribution to the parish history are notable features.

The construction date is uncertain, though an early 19th century date is most likely. These buildings may be those depicted adjacent to the river on Thomson's 1824 map. The cottages are believed to have been associated with the Glenfinart estate. The original row probably consisted of three cottages, with a smaller one in the middle, though it has been suggested the middle cottage may have been a smithy. The steep pitch of the roofs indicates these cottages were originally thatched.

The three southernmost cottages stand in a straight line with steeply-pitched slate roofs and slated dormers. Blinkbonny is a 4-bay asymmetrical cottage with a flat-roofed porch and slated dormers. Raglan is single-fronted, featuring a bowed ground floor window, a bipartite dormer, and a gabled timber porch. Fern Cottage is 3-bay with a gabled porch and piended dormers. To the north, at an angle to the row, stands Glencairn, the octagonal-ended former school with a piend roof. Glencairn features large chamfered-margin windows and a single dormer.

The Glenfinart estate was purchased by Archibald Douglas around 1837, leading to improvements in the area. A church was constructed immediately north of the cottages in 1838-9. Around 1842, Mrs Douglas of Glenfinart built the octagonal-ended school north of the cottages. The Statistical Account of 1845 records a house for the teacher adjoining the new school. This new construction is distinguished by more ashlar dressings and considerably larger windows facing north. The roofs of the remaining cottages were likely slated at this time.

The first edition Ordnance Survey map of circa 1865 shows outbuildings to the rear of the two southern cottages, extended by circa 1898. Rear extensions now exist to all four cottages, though only those at Blinkbonny predate the 20th century. The outhouses at Fern Cottage are probably those of the older school. The school was replaced in 1893 and was apparently amalgamated with the schoolteacher's house to form a larger cottage. Subsequently, the school and teacher's house have been divided again to form two separate cottages.

The interiors of Blinkbonny and Raglan cottages have been modernised. Access to Glencairn and Fern Cottage was not possible at the time of survey in 2004.

The buildings are constructed of white-painted rubble with some ashlar dressings, particularly evident at Glencairn. They have grey slate roofs, stone stacks with clay cans, and predominantly multi-pane timber sash and case windows. The property is bounded by stone rubble walls with semicircular copes facing the road.