A dated laird’s house combines a crowstepped profile, octagonal stair tower and walled garden within the Tyne valley.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1680; restored about 1960
- Architect / designer
- Original designer not identified; restoration associated with Frank and Mary Tindall
- Type
- L-plan laird’s house with turnpike stair
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB756)
- OS grid reference
- NT 38935 64359
Architecture and continuing use
The harled two-storey L-plan house turns around an octagonal stair tower capped by an ogee roof and weathercock. Crowstepped gables, flush window margins and a dated wing retain seventeenth-century character. The walled garden and entrance features extend the designation beyond the house itself.
Its story
Built in 1680 as a country residence, Ford House later passed through estate ownership and a period of neglect. Limited modernisation helped early features survive. Frank and Mary Tindall undertook a careful restoration around 1960 and reinstated a strong exterior colour scheme.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises an unusually intact seventeenth-century house and the survival of its associated garden enclosure.
What to notice
- The octagonal stair tower in the inner angle.
- Crowstepped gables and the 1680 datestone.
- The relationship between house, gates and walled garden.
Reading the surroundings
The house and garden are private. View only from lawful public routes and do not enter drives, walls or garden ground without direct permission.
Timeline
- 1680 Ford House was built as a compact lairdly residence.
- Mid-1900s Long neglect left many early details unmodernised.
- c. 1960 Frank and Mary Tindall restored the house and its historic character.
- 1971 The house and garden received Category A protection.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
A Jacobite visit is a tradition rather than securely documented fact. Present ownership and access arrangements remain private.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Ford House and Walled Garden, LB756 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB756 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NT 38935 64359 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · 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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