Building record MAB27659 - HILTON

Former farmstead, now in residential use, dating from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century with later additions and alterations.

Former farmstead, now in residential use, dating from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century with later additions and alterations. There are the remains of a B-listed windmill to the rear of the steading, dating from 1787 or 1825. The B-listed farmhouse, now named Hilton of Turnerhall, was built in circa 1800 and the C-listed steading, now 1-3 Hilton Farm Steadings, in the mid 19th century. It is shown on the 1st edition OS map as a U-plan steading with the windmill attached to the north, the farmhouse to the west is L-plan, and there are associated buildings to the east and south. On the 2nd edition OS map there are some additions to the steading, including a horsemill to the north of the windmill, which is now depicted as disused. The farmhouse is now U-plan, and an additional building has been added to the south. Current OS maps show additions and alterations to the steading and farmhouse, including the removal of the horsemill. The building to the east and one of the buildings to the south have also been removed. The farmhouse is a tall, narrow, three-storey principal section with a low second floor, a three-window coursed granite principal elevation and original sashes. The tall single-storey back wing has later sashes. The steading buildings are 1- to 2-storey, and constructed from boulder rubble with granite dressings. It has an approximately symmetrical courtyard layout centred on the windmill and open to the south. The remains of the windmill are in the form of a tapered tower 11.4 metres (37.4 feet) in height, built of pinkish granite and speckled rubble with dressed quoins. The first 3.7 metres (12.1 feet) section is octagonal in plan and 4.3 metres (14.1 feet) across. The upper part is circular and tapering, terminating in a narrow bracketed walk-way and extended upwards in a circular cross-section. Between the two sections is a 6 cm (2.4 inches) thick, 55 cm (21.7 inches) wide projecting reefing stage made of sandstone slabs. It appears to have powered a threshing mill. SDD suggest its date of construction is 1787. Internally, it originally had four floors with a connecting spiral stair. It is said that the cap and sails of the windmill were blown off into the threshing barn in the storm of December 28, 1879. The barn was subsequently repaired, the windmill tower capped, and three three horse-engine installed in front of the tower to provide power for the threshing barn. The horse-engine was in turn replaced by a stationary engine installed in the base of the tower. The engine caused a fire in 1963 which destroyed the original timber work and fittings inside the tower. The tower was then recapped and the stationary engine removed.

Period Notes
Windmill, farmhouse and steading all separately listed on 16/04/1971. The windmill is thought to have been built in circa 1787 or 1825, suffered storm damage in 1879, and fire damage in 1963. The farmhouse was built in circa 1800 and the steading in the mid 19th century.

Author unknown, , PRESS & JOURNAL, 15/01/91 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1416.

DONNACHIE, I L, 1966, SCOTTISH WINDMILLS: AN OUTLINE AND INVENTORY. IN PSAS 98 (1964-6) 292, p.292 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2414.

Hume, JR, 1977, Industrial Archaeology of Scotland, 97 (Bibliographic reference). SAB730.

DOUGLAS, G, 1984, SCOTTISH WINDMILLS - A SURVEY, p.19; ill p.26-27 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4037.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, ELLON 5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

STEWART, n.d., PSAS 5, 294, 292 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3232.

Nov 13 1997 , AAS/97/13/CT, AAS/97/13/CT (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16986.

Nov 13 1997 , AAS/97/13/G29/11-13, AAS/97/13/G29/11-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16985.

Record last edited

Apr 14 2025 11:21AM