Barra Lodge, St Andrews Road, Lhanbryde

Image: © Anne Burgess Taken: 5 Apr 2007

My eye was caught by the architectural details of this house front, in particular the sculpture above the door and the patterns on the windows of the porch, though the latter is not of a piece with the rest if the house and is probably a later addition. The shield on the gable reads "B P 1851". The only adult male with initials B P in the parish in the 1851 and 1861 censuses was Benjamin Pennycuick, a forester from Lasswade in Midlothian who was employed by the Duke of Fife. He died in 1868 in 'Murray Cottage', Lhanbryde (his wife's maiden name was Murray) but two of his daughters were living in No 1 St Andrews Road in 1881, so it seems very probable that this is the house that Benjamin built. It isn't a Listed building, but it is mentioned in 'The Buildings of Scotland'.

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