Moat Brae - gallery over saloon. Photo Graeme Robertson 2009
Moat Brae House was designed in 1823 for Robert Threshie of Barnbarroch, by Walter Newall, South West Scotland’s most distinguished architect.
The house, Category B listed in 1961, is exceptionally fine – indeed of better quality than nearby A-listed houses in Castle Street, and some contemporary A-listed houses in the New Town of Edinburgh. Apart from the problems associated with recent vandalism and decay, the house is in remarkably original condition.
Many will know of the house because of its connection with the story of Peter Pan. In 1873, on his first day as a pupil at Dumfries Academy, the author JM Barrie befriended the Gordon boys, sons of a local solicitor whose family were then living at Moat Brae. Stuart Gordon shared Barrie’s appetite for high adventure, and invited him to join his pirate crew… “…when the shades of night began to fall, certain young mathematicians shed their triangles, crept up walls and down trees, and became pirates in a sort of Odyssey that was long afterwards to become the play of Peter Pan. For our escapades in a certain Dumfries Garden, which is enchanted land to me, were certainly the genesis of that nefarious work.” (JM Barrie, Speech on being awarded the Freedom of Dumfries, 11 December 1924) The garden of Moat Brae house is, then, the inspiration for Peter Pan.
Moat Brae was purchased in 2008 by Loreburn Housing Association (LHA), since when, deliberately or at least through sheer negligence, wet and (particularly) dry rot have spread extensively, and thus the internal fabric of the house has been allowed to deteriorate dramatically. At no point has the local authority, though fully aware of the situation, served any repairs notice on the owners of this house.
In May of this year, to the shock and dismay of the local community, LHA announced their intention to demolish the house.
This announcement was published in the front page of the Dumfries and Galloway Standard, prompting a general outcry, and as a result of which was proposed an alternative solution: the establishment of a Building Preservation Trust to save this important and much-loved house and its garden. Historic Buildings Preservation Trusts (BPTs) are charities established to preserve buildings of architectural or historic importance whose survival is threatened and for which an economically viable solution is beyond the reach of both the original owner and the normal operation of the market. BPTs are usually constituted as companies limited by guarantee and have charitable status.
This proposal was put to LHA, who on 1st July confirmed their agreement to give the newly formed Trust a lease on Moat Brae with an option to purchase the property at any time, at its market value, with payment deferred for two years, to enable the Trust to raise funds, restore the house and garden for the public benefit, and to find a long-term use that would be sympathetic, and economically sustainable. As part of this agreement, the Trust has been given until 31st August to present its proposals. This all forms a legal contract.
LHA made a surprising public announcement this week that they intend to demolish the house on Monday 10th August, and appear to have instructed demolition contractors, who displayed their signs on the site fencing during last week. We now know that the Housing Association has consulted with both the local Council and Historic Scotland, and that both have written to them with plain and strong confirmation that, without listed building consent, or a dangerous buildings notice – neither of which they have – they would be committing a criminal offence if they proceed to demolish any part of the building. Yet, with this full knowledge of the criminality of their proposals, they announced to the press, to the Council, and to MSPs that they will go ahead and do it anyway. For a private developer to behave in this way is one thing, but for an organisation like a housing association, with funding from Central Government and in partnership with the local Council, to make a conscious decision to commit a criminal act is very shocking indeed. (Their CEO Ahsan Khan makes the astounding statement, published in the Standard on 7 August, that he “would be astonished if the council were to move for prosecution”).
The reason given for the proposed ‘urgent’ demolition is that the house is in danger of ‘imminent collapse’. The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust’s specialist consultants have confirmed that this is most certainly NOT the case. Moat Brae is NOT about to suffer a ‘catastrophic collapse’ and presents no danger to the public.
We (Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust) have been working behind the scenes, and have secured an Interim Interdict for 7 days, granted by the Sheriff Court in Dumfries, and which was served on LHA on Friday morning, to prevent them from demolishing the house on Monday (10th August). There will be a subsequent hearing at the Sheriff Court next Friday. In the meantime meetings have been arranged with LHA and their solicitors in order to try to negotiate an immediate purchase of the house and garden at Moat Brae.
PLEASE – WE NEED YOUR URGENT SUPPORT!
We need letters of support for the work of the trust, and in condemnation of LHA’s proposed demolition of the building, by the middle of next week, to submit to the Sheriff in Dumfries. We also need to raise significant funds for the project as a whole; but we must raise, very urgently, about £25K to cover the Trust’s legal and start-up costs and to carry out urgent emergency works to arrest the decay of the fabric of the house. A Fund-raising campaign towards the capital purchase costs of the building and the on-going associated costs needs urgently to be underway.
If you know anyone who can help with any of this, please pass this on to them.
Please feel free to circulate this to anyone you think may be in a position to help us.
Please contact us if you can help in any way, or become a “Friend” of the Trust.
Please email friends@moatbrae.org if you would like to become involved; or to offer your support – specific or general, in cash or in kind.
Any letters of support should be addressed to
The Trustees
Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust
c/o 24 Queen Street
Dumfries DG1 2JF
www.moatbrae.org