Cornhill House Court of Offices, Coulter

U-plan, 1 and 2 storey whinstone rubble with sandstone dressings. RIGHT WING: has 2-storey irregularly fenestrated section with hayloft above, on left and on right single storey and attic dwelling house block treated in Leiper's "French Vernacular" style, asymmetrical, with timber porch at ground flanked by single window on left and stone mullioned bipartite on right. Porch is gabled with pierced wooden sides, open above, slated roof and open timber head. At attic level dormers break eaves with open timber heads bracketted in front of masonry. Right dormer set in section of roof brought to pyramid, on raised wallhead. Prominent eaves with shaped rafter ends. Windows boarded. Chnimney stack on right gable, Roof slated. CENTRAL RANGE: pair of coach houses with semi circular arched doorways with chamfered ingoes, double boarded doors with wrought-iron hinges. Lower single storey sections link to left and right wings, with doors on L leading to byre with slate trevises and fireclay mangers. LEFT WING: ;largely derelict. Courtyard frontage has window door - cart entry- door hayloft. Cart entry smaller version of coach house, with door to hayloft at attic level above. To left of courtyard frontage 4-bay frontage with depressed arched cart entry.

Though now in poor condition, a fine specimen of Leiper's attention to detail. Treatment of house on right relates to that of Londsaylands, Biggar and Redholme, Helensburgh, of the same period, and has links with vernacular building of the Loire Valley. (Historic Scotland)

June 1993: External inspection reveals the ranges to be empty, boarded-up, and mostly derelict. The left range is now partially roofless. December 1993: Strathclyde Regional Council confirms that the home for the elderly which operates from Cornhill House is due to close in 1995 or 1996. The court of offices is unlikely to be marketed until the whole estate enters the market. However, interested parties are welcome to contact the Estates Department on an informal basis. November 1996: Local planners confirm that Cornhill House has now closed as a nursing home. South Lanarkshire Council intends to market the house and its court of offices as both separate and combined lots sometime after Christmas. March 1998: SCT receives information that Cornhill House has been sold to a restorer who intends to convert it into a hotel. It is hoped that the court of offices will be tackled once the conversion of the main house is complete. January 2001: The house is now successfully restored and is operating as a hotel. Though the court of offices remains dilapidated, it may still be restored by the owner during the latter stages of the hotel development. The owner confirms however that he would also consider its sale or lease to another interested party. February 2002: Local planners report that informal discussions have taken place with the owner with regards to using the court as a leisure facility. 15 July 2004: The Carluke Gazette reports that councillors have granted Planning Permission to Muir Homes Ltd for 9 executive homes on the site of the former walled garden. The Cornhill House Hotel will use monies from the sale of the land to complete its function suite. Biggar and District Civic Society and Historic Scotland have both objected to the proposals, the latter advocating the conversion of the dilapidated court of offices accompanied by a smaller new-build. Local planners however have responded that the granting of permissions could be used to force the undertaking of emergency works on the court. 24 July 2006: The owner reports to SCT that they are currently preparing a proposal to utilise the buildings as additional bedroom and holiday appartment accomodation.

October 2008: Planning application is lodged to alter and extend the former offices to create further accomodation for Cornhill House Hotel. Ref: CL/ 08/0483.

March 2010: External inspection finds the fine range of buildings in very poor to ruinous condition. Listed building consent for alteration & extension was granted March 2009.

12 December 2013: External inspection finds the buildings continue to deteriorate. Most of the roof is now gone, with tarpaulin loosely placed over.