Sites and Monument Record: Grange House (SMR 909)
Description
A small three-storey laird's house of the 16th century with crow-stepped gables. It had an elongated W/E rectangular plan with a square projection or jamb near the centre of the S side containing a circular staircase. This stair led up to the second floor, from where a corbelled turret set in the angle between the jamb and the main block to the east continued a spiral stair to the upper floors.
The main door was set in the jamb and had an ansate panel on the lintel containing the date 1564. Large low-arched pediment windows occur to either side; one with the initials S/IH indicating that Sir John Hamilton was the first proprietor. These were latterly bricked up. The angularly-placed and detached chimneys on the gables are rare though not unknown features in Scottish mansions. Sundials occur on the two southern skew-putts.
A chamber in the top storey of the staircase projection had a carved roof or ceiling. The basement was vaulted, and contained the kitchen at the west end, with a large fireplace and oven, and inlet and outlet drains for water. At the east end there was a lean-to building of later date than the original house. This was used for a stable previous to the demolition. The upper floors were each divided into three rooms.
Two lean-to extensions were added to the west of the entrance jamb. One of these leant against the jamb and had a pigeon loft set in its gable.
The building was demolished c1900.
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Object detail
During the 12th century Philip d'Eu granted some of his lands to Culross Abbey. The lands, called the 'granary' of the Abbey, retained the name after they were secularised and passed to the Hamiltons. Grange Estate extended to roughly 350 acres.
In 1842 the Thomson family moved into Old Grange House and started keeping a market garden and dairy. They had four cows and could hardly dispose of their milk as there was little trade in milk then. The Thomsons stayed there until 1898, when the house was considered to be unfit for habitation.
In 1899 the owner had the architect Hippolyte Blanc draw up plans to renovate the house and extend it to the NE (a998/1899/31A). This never happened and it was demolished c 1900 to make way for HM Cadell's feuing of Grange Loan.
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