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Summary

Description

Apparently 17th century foundations but largely William Burn, earlier 19th century; restored and modernized by Esme Gordon in 1955. 2-storey, asymmetetrical Scots- Baronial, gabled villa. Squared and snecked, honey- coloured rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings. Chamfered reveals; stugged quoins. Crowstepped gables. Armorial medallions in gablehead.

S (main) elevation: 7 asymmetrical bays. Broad, advanced gable to outer right, canted at ground floor corbelled to square at 1st floor. French door at centre ground with side lights; single window at centre 1st floor. Round tower entrance at re-entrant left, 1950s studded wooden door at centre, faded armorial panel above, sharp bolection moulding surround. Narrow window at 1st floor, medallion above. Narrow bay to left with gabled dormerhead. Advanced M-gable to left, bays symmetrically disposed. Gargoyle at centre of 2 gables, originally from Corstorphine Parish Church Edinburgh. Lower block to left terminating in crowstepped gable with bipartite window at ground, window with segmental headed pediment at 1st floor, date 1633 inscribed (pediment probably from earlier house).

N (rear) elevation: full-height canted bay with blocking course at centre of left block; advanced, broad gable to outer right, 2 windows symmetrically disposed, plaque in gablehead. Window immediately to left of gable at ground and stair level. Single storey kitchen wing to outer right, 2 windows at centre, small window to left, square dormer to left; tall, coped wallhead stack to outer right.

W elevation: lower kitchen wing; broad gable to outer right, some 1950s detailing. Door at ground, evidence of blocked opening to right, window in gablehead; long timber-mullioned, tripartite window and door in 2 bays to right, united by blocked ashlar surround.

12-pane sash and case windows, 6-pane casement windows for tripartite kitchen window. Grey slate gabled roof, tall, coped wallhead and gablehead stacks. Ogee-moulded skewputts.

West lodge and gatepiers: W lodge: 3-bay symmetrical lodge, main elevation to West Hermiston. Door at centre, narrow plate glass fanlight, flanking 4-pane sash and case windows. Wall of gig-house and outbuildings to left. Tall, corniced ridge stack on pedestal base. Flat-roofed addition to rear.

Gatepiers: immediately to right of lodge, stugged, squared piers, that to left keyed into quions of lodge, rounded caps.

Gate towers, boundary wall, gig house and outbuildings: L-plan range to W of house forming kitchen court. Entrance via square-plan, squat, piend-roofed gate towers. Blind arrow-slits in S elevations with door in W side of right tower and in N side of left tower. Rubble wall with semicircular coping to left adjoining to kitchen block, wall to right links to gig house. Gig house rubble with stugged sandstone dressings, 2 cart entrances, that to left smaller, 2-leaf boarded doors. Advanced block to outer right, barred window at S side, door to left of gable; square-plan, piend-roofed store abuts to right, boarded door with 5-pane letterbox fanlight.

Walled garden and greenhouse: rubble wall with ashlar slab coping surrounding area to S and E. Lean-to green house against N wall immediately to right of house, brick base course; square, brick, coped stack with octagonal pots. Ornate wrought-iron gate into orchard in E wall.

Statement of Special Interest

Hermiston House was in existence from the 17th century but was probably largely rebuilt by William Burn who was working at Riccarton Estate for the Gibson-Craigs in 1823. The architect apparently lived in Hermiston House around 1830. The gargoyle is said to come from Corstorphine Parish Church which was restored by Burn in 1828. The house was again restored and modernised by Esme Gordon in 1955 and is now the residence of the Vice Chancellor of Heriot Watt University. The S Lodge and Hermiston Farmhouse are listed separately. The Union Canal bridge 11 (Mid Hermiston Bridge), at rear NE of the house, is also listed separately.

References

Bibliography

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