Easter Inch Farmsteading Western Cottage, Blackburn Road, Bathgate

Easter Inch Farmsteading’s Western Cottage dates to 1869, with subsequent alterations and additions. The farmstead is laid out in a U-shape, with a courtyard partially enclosed to the east by a wall. A farmhouse is incorporated into the north range, featuring a three-stage Baronial tower and pend. The building is constructed of random and squared rubble stone with ashlar dressings.

The north range’s outer elevation displays regular masonry and a symmetrical, two-storey, seven-bay residential centrepiece. This is flanked to the outer right by the gabled end of the west range. A pointed-arch pend entrance is centrally located within an advanced gabled bay, incorporating a moulded surround and stylised capitals to the supporting columns. Three windows are above the pend in the gablehead. Three bays are positioned on either side, representing the farmhouse to the east and cottages to the west, each featuring a door at the centre, flanked by windows on both the ground and first floors, with gabled dormerheads above. A single-storey wing of the farmhouse extends to the outer left, with a slightly advanced outer gable.

The courtyard elevation includes a flat arch to the pend and an engaged, square-section tower to the left. The lower stage of the tower has rounded arrises, which corbel to a square section above the pend. The tower features a window and breaks the eaves, adorned with a corbel table that drops as an apron below the wallhead window, finishing with a swept pyramidal roof and finial. The tower is flanked by irregular bays, including a two-storey gabled later addition to the left and a gabled dormerhead to a first-floor window to the right. A single-storey cottage sits to the outer right, with a modern porch addition and picture window.

The west range comprises a cartshed and granary at the centre, featuring two wide segmental carriage arches. To the right are narrower arches leading to the courtyard, a door on the penultimate bay to the right, and a later flat arch in the re-entrant angle. A blank area is present at the rear ground level, with small ventilation grilles serving the byre, and a square opening under the eaves to the hayloft, flanked by a gabled hayloft dormer. A gabled return faces north, with two windows on the ground floor (one blinded) and a single gablehead window.

The windows are narrow, timber sash and case windows with eight panes. The roof is covered with grey slates, and the building features plain bargeboards. A coping band defines the stone stacks. A tall rubble wall encloses the steading. The farm court appears to have been designed by an architect and exhibits an unfussy style, distinguished by the tower and pend.