east-lothian-1924/05-063

Transcription

ABERLADY.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [ABERLADY.

dictates that the wall, which is built of rubble,
was harled. Over the gateway five projecting
corbels suggest that the entrance was sur-
mounted by a little gatehouse, as at Hills
Castle, Kirkcudbrightshire, Kirkc. Inventory,
No. 330, which projected outwardly on the
corbels and was borne on the sturdy segmental
scoinson arch. The eastern outbuildings con-
sist of a range of vaulted cellars with, formerly,

[Plan inserted]
FIG. 38. - Redhouse (No. 7).

an upper storey within a very steeply pitched
roof. Two of the cellars retain their barrel-
vaulted ceilings, but the timber roof above has
been reconstructed with a less acute pitch,
making the range one-storeyed. The southern
cellar, however, still retains its upper storey,
which is two chambered and is the dove-cot ;
each of these chambers was entered from a
doorway in the south wall reached by a mov-
able ladder, but the western door had been
built up and an access latterly formed in the
mid-partition between the two chambers. The
nests are of stone, as is usual. The stone roof
is constructed with a continuous corbel-table
projecting inwardly from the north and south
walls and surmounted by flagstones canti-
levered until the void is spanned, but the
usual circular opening for ingress and egress
of the birds is left. Around the south, east and
west walls an unmoulded stringcourse and
a cavetto moulded eaves course return ; the
gables are stepped. The doorway in the west
wall of the courtyard and that of the cellarage
of the east range have good Scotch renaissance
moulded architraves c. 17th century.

The house is of at least two periods, but no
great length of time has intervened between
these. To the earlier period (c. late 16th
century) may be ascribed the oblong wing
fronting the courtyard on the north, while the
remainder of the building is evidently an early
17th century addition. This is L-shaped and
lies north of the original portion (fig. 40).
Throughout, the walling is of warm coloured
rubble partially of freestone ; the lower and
all the earlier windows have dressed and
rounded jambs and lintels, half grooved for
glazing. The later windows on the upper floors,
the south doorway, the string courses on the
north and west fronts and the corbelling of
the angle turrets which project from the
north-west and north-east angles and the
north-east re-entering angle are of dressed and
moulded light coloured freestone.

The south front is four storeys in height to
the wall-head, above which was an attic lit by
dormer windows, but the walls at the south-
east angle are carried higher, providing apart-
ments over the wheel-stair. The north front
is more richly treated ; a moulded string course
returns at the level of the turret upper corbel
courses and a second at attic floor level. The
corbelling of the north-west turret has numerous
and delicate members, while that of the others
is simple and massive, yet the turrets have
undoubtedly been built at the same time c.
1600.
The ground being higher on the north, the
north doorway enters the building at first floor
level and a scale staircase leads down to the
apartments at courtyard level. The detail of
the west elevation is similar to that of the
north frontage. The two-light dormer window
on this elevation is worthy of note. It has
moulded jambs and a triangular pediment with
raking cornice. In the tympanum is a weather-
worn shield flanked by the initials R. D. On
a skewput immediately to the south are the
initials M. I. L. These are for Master John
Laing and Rebecca Dennistoun, his wife. ¹
From the east gable of the house a range of
outbuilding with vaulted cellars on the base-
ment floor returned eastward and abutted on

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