Building record MAB15724 - MAINS OF PETMATHEN, OYNE

Farmstead and mill, depicted on the OS 1st edition map which shows three ranges, arranged to form a court open on the east side, to the east of which lies the farmhouse.

Farmstead and mill, depicted on the OS 1st edition map which shows three ranges, arranged to form a court open on the east side, to the east of which lies the farmhouse. To the south are another rectangular building (the mill) and pond with sluice. The general layout remains the same on the 2nd edition map, but a building has been added on the east side of the court and the house has been extended. Current maps indicate that all of the buildings remain in use, although the pond is no longer water-filled. Level 1 Standing Building Survey of the steading was carried out by MAS in January 2012 prior to the conversion of the steading building into a dwelling house. The survey concluded that Mains of Petmathen is a fairly typical Aberdeenshire improvement steading, probably dating from circa 1800, with development in the second half of the 19th century when Petmathen House was built and the Mains of Petmathen farm appears to have been improved with some sophistication. This estate influence is seen, for example, in the well balanced east range with the decorative moulding on either side of the chimney, the quite elegant skew putts on all buildings (all to the same pattern), the use in places of well-placed vertically stacked pinnings and the extra timber used in the close-set roof couples. The good preservation of some internal features such as the cattle trevises allowed a degree of certainty in identifying the functions of each area. The map evidence allows an insight into the building development with the north, south and west ranges in existence by 1867 and the east range added between 1867 and 1889. The stonework allows some further detail. The original (1867) S range extended almost to the road. By 1898 this had been foreshortened to match the north range, almost certainly at the same time as the east range was built. The scars of the rebuilding of the east gable of the south range are visible in the stonework. The south range can also be seen to abut the west range, which is therefore at least structurally earlier than it. At some point after 1867, however, the south end of the west range had been extended, so what may be reflected here is the original west end of the south range as shown on the 1867 map. The west range also appears to abut the north range, however, again this sequence is confused as the north and west ranges were each freestanding in 1867, with the northwest corner being built up subsequently. The stonework of the north and west ranges is very similar, with a greater use of softer-coloured buff-pink stones and the overall impression is that these were both contemporary. A photographic survey of the mill was carried out in 2012 prior to its conversion into a dwellinghouse. This former corn mill, dating from mid 19th Century, is an elongate gable roof style building with a rectangular footprint. It comprises a stone masonry construction with a pitched, slated roof. External walls are presented with snecked coursed rubble, and the roof retains the original Scottish slates in diminishing courses. The Mill is orientated east-west and drops from a single storey at the west end to a double height space plus upper storey to the east. The south elevation originally had an 'overshot' water wheel attached to it, although nothing now remains either internally or externally. A stream, fed by a mill pond located to the southwest of the property (now heavily silted up), still runs past the south elevation of the Mill where the water wheel would originally have been attached. Internally, although the wheel gear no longer survives, the opening (blocked up) for the wheel shaft can still be made out, corresponding with a projecting cill stone inside the south elevation. Parts of the original ladeside (now dry) are still present running from the mill pond towards the southwest corner of the Mill, and then down the side of the building itself. The heavily rotted remnants of a timber bridge across the stream can be found adjacent to the south east corner of the Mill. The west elevation features a large double width door opening which is centrally aligned. Sliding timber shutters can still be seen internally. The north elevation features a number of window and door openings of varying heights and widths. The lane running alongside the northern elevation from west to east drops approximately 1.4 metres over the building's length. The east elevation features a double width door opening similar to the west. The extra height on this gable allowed a window opening to be formed on the upper floor. The south elevation is largely concealed behind a number of mature Ash trees growing by the banks of the stream. Adjacent to the former wheel opening, a further two window openings can be traced, plus a (possibly later) brick bay projection with a shallow opening towards the east side. Internally the building steps down from a single storey a third of the way in from the west. An upper floor exists in the east half of the building with its original timbers. Grain chutes are found on the north side with a ventilation opening low to the floor.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2012, MAINS OF PETMATHEN STEADING, OLD RAYNE - STANDING BUILDING SURVEY (Bibliographic reference). SAB4995.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2013, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 13, 2012, pp.26-27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB5487.

Feb 6 2012 , APP/2011/3502, APP/2011/3502 (Ground Photograph). SAB18781.

Mar 17 2009 , APP/2008/3786, APP/2008/3786 (Ground Photograph). SAB19994.

Record last edited

Jun 19 2023 1:02PM