Cowdenknowes House, Berwickshire
Cowdenknowes House is a category A listed mansion situated on the east bank of the leader water south of Earlston in Berwickshire. The present house stands on the site of a Douglas stronghold and has been substantially added to and remodelled in the late 18th century, and again in 1820 and the 1880s.
Cowdenknowes is now a private residence. Simpson & Brown were commissioned to repair the results of long years of neglect and deterioration and to reinterpret the layout to suit modern living. Work involved removing additional bathrooms, partitions and services, salvaging the wonderful 1930s bathroom suites and relocating the bathrooms in a more practical arrangement. A small butler's kitchen was created on the ground floor with a new connecting stair linking it to the new basement kitchen.
The remains of original opening lights and winding gear were salvaged from a ruined Victorian glass house which was incorporated into a new plant house attached to the kitchen.
