A mirrored pair of red-and-yellow brick cottages records the managerial housing of a neighbouring oil works.
Quick facts
- Date
- Late 19th century
- Architect / designer
- Designer unrecorded
- Type
- Pair of industrial managers’ cottages
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB46137)
- OS grid reference
- NT 33224 64043
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
Each three-bay cottage is single-storey over a basement, composed as a symmetrical pair. Red brick, contrasting yellow dressings, segmental-arched windows, corbelled eaves and terracotta ridge details create a distinctive industrial palette.
Its story
The cottages housed managers of the nearby Dean Oil Works, an industry associated with the wider coalfield. Their fabric survived later change around Lady Victoria Colliery and entered the statutory list in 1999.
Why it is included
The Category C pair broadens Newtongrange’s industrial story beyond coal extraction and shows status expressed through modest but decorative housing.
What to notice
- Yellow-brick quoins and window surrounds.
- Mirrored door and window arrangement.
- Terracotta ridge finials above the piended roof.
Reading the surroundings
Occupied private houses should be viewed from public space only. Respect residents, gardens and windows and avoid lingering at entrances.
Timeline
- Late 19th century The Dean Oil Works provided the paired houses for its managers.
- 1892 An Ordnance Survey mapped the industrial neighbourhood around the cottages.
- 1999 The pair entered the national list at Category C.
- 2022 The conservation appraisal reaffirmed their role in the mining landscape.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The designation does not name a designer or a precise construction year.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: 21 and 23 Murderdean Road, LB46137 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Midlothian Council: Newtongrange Conservation Area Appraisal — Local-authority confirmation of form, materials and the cottages’ Dean Oil Works association.
Location
OS grid reference NT 33224 64043 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; the independent source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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