KEYS TO KNOW
masonry panel bearing the St Andrew’s cross shield, a bishop’s mitre, the date stone and a pair of Tudor roses.
Ann and Scott Hunter have owned the house for 32 years. They previously lived in the Middle East but were in the market for a Scottish home in 1987, when the eldest of their three children was 11 and ready to start school in Scotland.
Scott knew and liked the house as he had known the previous-butone owner. But being abroad, when The Old Rectory came up for sale, the Hunters asked a friend to view it. He duly did and reported that it was structurally sound.
Armed with this knowledge, and Scott’s favourable memory of the house, the couple put in an offer without Ann even having seen it.
However, as she recalls: “When I first came back to have a look at it, I cried. Structurally it was good – that was true – but it needed so much decoration, as nothing had been done for years.”
Nor was it just cosmetic work, there was some quite large structural projects which needed tackling, and the B-listing meant that the Hunters had to proceed with caution.
Ann remembers: “When we first came, we rewired and put in doubleglazed windows.
“All had to be in keeping with the house, and it was a big undertaking. But, of course, it made the house a lot more comfortable. The doubleglazed wooden windows made it much warmer.”
Over time, the kitchen has been replaced and the bathrooms are all new. Ann and Scott had to create a couple of bath and shower rooms as the old house wasn’t well served.
Ann says: “What is now our ensuite was originally a maid’s room, and a downstairs toilet was turned into a shower room – with three children in the house we did need more.”
There are now four bathrooms to serve the property’s five bedrooms.
The public rooms are all impressive, with both a sitting room The Old Rectory, Croft Street, Penicuik, near Edinburgh.
B-listed home with five bedrooms, three reception rooms, a conservatory and a large kitchen.
Third of an acre of garden and a sheltered courtyard.
Former chapel with leaded windows and a vaulted ceiling. and a drawing room, a study and a dining-kitchen.
The dining room could be a sixth bedroom if needed, and the Hunters have added a beautiful conservatory at the back of the house.
Ann declares her love for the period features in the house, saying: “All the bigger bedrooms have the original fireplaces and of course there is the original chapel, which we use as a study.”
This space would once have served as the reverend’s private place of worship, but Ann has met locals who recall relatives getting married in there, and it certainly would be a romantic spot for a small gathering.
Beautiful medieval-styled sandstone windows with stained glass are found in the chapel and the hall leading to it.
Ann says that the walled garden, with its expansive lawns, was perfect for outdoor games when the children were growing up, and the couple now have two dogs. “We are two minutes along the lane from the Sir John Clark’s estate, so that is an absolutely beautiful walk straight out of the door.”
The estate, surrounding Penicuik House, was laid out by Clark, and has been described as one of the finest designed landscapes in the UK. It features pathways and cycle trails with a farm shop and café.
Scott remains active in the Middle East and still travels there for business, mainly to Bahrain. Ann says: “We can be at the airport in a quarter of an hour, so that has always been a boon.”
It will be a wrench for the Hunters to sell, but Scott is set to retire and the couple want to downsize. The Old Rectory has suited them as a family home – and it is sure to be a good fit for the next lucky owner.