A fire-damaged laird’s house associated with Colonel James Gardiner was carefully reconstructed for residential use in the 1990s.
Quick facts
- Date
- Circa 1700; restored 1993–95
- Architect / designer
- Original designer unrecorded; restored by Simpson and Brown Architects
- Type
- Country house and associated pavilions
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB17546)
- OS grid reference
- NT 39506 73688
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
A symmetrical harled main block is framed by lower pavilions and a formal approach. Reconstructed roofs, windows and interiors combine retained early fabric with extensive late-twentieth-century conservation work.
Its story
The house was built around 1700 and became associated with Colonel James Gardiner, killed at Prestonpans in 1745. Fires in 1852 and 1966 left severe damage; a major 1993–95 project restored the ensemble as four homes.
Why it is included
The Category B property connects Jacobite-era memory with country-house design and a substantial modern rescue from ruin.
What to notice
- Symmetrical main block and flanking pavilions.
- Formal relationship between house and approach.
- Reconstructed fabric integrated with surviving masonry.
Reading the surroundings
Bankton House is private residential property. View only from lawful public routes, do not enter drives, gardens or shared grounds, and protect residents’ privacy.
Timeline
- Circa 1700 A formal laird’s house was built at Bankton.
- 1745 Colonel James Gardiner died after the Battle of Prestonpans.
- 1966 A major fire left the already altered house severely damaged.
- 1993–95 Conservation work reconstructed the complex as four dwellings.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Much of the visible upper fabric results from the 1990s reconstruction, so it should not be read as wholly untouched circa-1700 work.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Bankton House, LB17546 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Prestoungrange: Bankton House restoration — Detailed independent account of the house, fires, Gardiner association and 1993–95 reconstruction.
- Rettie: Bankton House property — Recent confirmation of private residential use within the restored complex.
Location
OS grid reference NT 39506 73688 · 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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