Name: | Walter Newall |
Designation: | |
Born: | 3 April 1780 |
Died: | 25 December 1863 |
Bio Notes: | Walter Newall was born at Doubledyke, New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire, on 3 April 1780. He was the son of a farmer.
He began his career as a cabinet-maker. He was admitted to the trade incorporation of Dumfries in December 1807 and, as a cabinet-maker, became a burgess of Dumfries in 1808. He was a partner in Newall Hannah & Reid, a firm of cabinet-makers in Dumfries. His drawings of furniture show that he was a competent draughtsman. However, the cabinet-making business failed about 1814 and as a result he began to practice as an architect. There is no information to suggest what kind of formal training he had or where he served his articles. However, his buildings show that he had a knowledge of contemporary thinking in the Greek Revival and the Picturesque Gothic styles. His papers show him to have made tours of Germany, (France?) and Italy, as well as part of England, notably Oxford, Cambridge and Fonthill.
Newall had a large practice, mainly in Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire. He tackled a varied range of work including churches, country houses, villas and farmsteads, many of which were on Buccleuch estates. He was responsible for the development in and around George Street - the New Town of Dumfries - and the conversion of a windmill in Maxweltown into an observatory which became one of the town’s landmarks. Newall’s Greek Revival bungalows are distinctively Scottish and are particularly successful.
J C Loudon thought sufficiently of Newall’s work to give a detailed account of one of the Greek Revival villas, Hannayfield, in his ‘Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm and Villa Architecture’ (Vol. II p.850/853) and also illustrated eight of Newall’s farmsteads. He states that in the summer of 1831 he went over Hannayfield - now Ladyfield West - with the owner, John Hannah or Hannay, and Walter Newall. As befits a landscape gardener, Loudon commented on the deficiencies of the landscaping (which Mr Hannah had designed) but did not criticise the house.
In 1841 Newall, who never married, was living on the west side of High Street with his unmarried sister, Nicholas [sic]. He had moved to George Street ten years later, still with his sister. At that date he is described as ‘architect and civil engineer’ and he had two employees. About this time Newall abandoned the Greek Revival style in favour of the Tudor/Scots vernacular style favoured by William Burn and others. Kirkmahoe is one of the best examples of Newall’s Gothic style churches. He designed various churchyard monuments, both Gothic and classical, and two examples of the latter are illustrated in Loudon’s Gardener’s Magazine, 1831.
Newall had retired to Craigend, New Abbey, by 1861 where he is described as ‘heritor and farmer, retired architect’. His sister was still in his household as was his 9-year-old nephew from Canada, Walter Copeland. Walter Newall died at Craigend on Christmas Day 1863. He is buried in St Michael’s Churchyard, Dumfries.
Accounts in Dumfries Museum for the following: Estimate for Benjamin Bell, no date (alterations) Estimate for Mrs Copeland, no date, but about 1811 (alterations) House for Archibald MacDougall, probably 1811-12, cost £1310 Alterations for William Monies, no date but about 1812. William Thomson, for making a 'meal chest', no date but about 1812. Estimate for Messrs Thomson & Kerr, 1817, alterations. Estimate for Mrs Williamson, no date, but about 1811. |
This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): |
| Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes |
| | Aldermanhill | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attirbution - no date |
| | Bank building (or similar), High Street | Lockerbie | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - no date |
| | Blacket House | Eaglesfield, Middlebie | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| | Bridge over the River Cairn | Jardington | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Date not known. |
| | Castle Dykes | Dumfries (near) | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| | Cavens House | Kirkbean | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Proposed additions |
| | Comlongan Estate, farm houses and steadings | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Date uncertain |
| | Courance House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - addition to earlier house which was retained to serve as rear wing. |
| | Crindau House | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| | Earlston | Douglas | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Attribution - no date known. |
| | Friars Carse House | Dunscore | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Additions to old house and offices |
| | Gelston, Douglas of Castle Douglas Mausoleum | Gelston | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Date not given by MacKechnie. Attribution. |
| | Holecleuch Farm | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Date uncertain |
| | House, 34 High Street | Lochmaben | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution |
| | Huntly Lodge | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - on the grounds of similarity to nearby Hunter's Croft. |
| | Justenlees, house | Annan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | No date known |
| | Kindar Lodge | New Abbey | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Additions to existing house. Attribution. |
| | Kirkbean Cottage | Kirkbean | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | No location or date |
| | Kirkcolm House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | No date |
| | Kirkcowan Parish Church | Kirkcowan | | Wigtownshire | Scotland | Attribution - date not known |
| | Mains House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Proposed additions - no date |
| | Munches | Dalbeattie | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Original house - date unknown |
| | Premises, Castle Street and George Street | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution |
| | Schools | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Project sketches - not certain if executed. |
| | Tenement, High Street | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| | Woodlands, House, lodge and gatepiers | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | No date known. |
| 1811 | Barjarg Tower | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Repairs |
| 1811 | River Nith | | | Dumfreisshire | Scotland | Supervision of river improvements to scheme by Holinsworth. |
| c. 1812 | Hannahfield | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | | |
| 1813 | Dildawn | Rhonehouse | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| 1814 | Borgue Parish Church | Borgue | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Attribution |
| 1817 | Buittle Parish Church | Buittle | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Original church (Colvin gives 1818-19) |
| 1817 | Dumfries Court House | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Repairs and superintending |
| 1817 | Unidentified Church | | | | Scotland | Estimate |
| 1818 | Lochrutton Church | Lochrutton | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - unsigned plans in NRA. Building contract refers to Newall as arbiter but probably not his design. |
| 1820 | Brownhall, Powder Magazine | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1820 | Premises, 41 Castle Street | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Newall 'involved in the building' of this property. |
| c. 1820 | Broomlands House | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1820 | Commercial Bank of Scotland, Dumfries | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1820 | Kilquhanity | Kirkpatrck Durham | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1820 | The Holm | Balmaclellan | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Proposed house - not clear if it was the same building as that demolished by Wolffe. |
| 1821 | Youngfield house and stable block | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Stables |
| 1822 | Kells Parish Church | New Galloway | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Resonsible for datestone? - attribution by MacKechnie? |
| 1822 | Kirkmahoe Parish Church | Kirkmahoe | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1823 | Moat Brae | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1824 | Bridge over River Cairn at Gribton | Gribton | | Dunfriesshire | Scotland | Unexecuted scheme 'Mr Newall's Plan of a Suspension Bridge over the Cairn at Gribton Ford'. Span 100 feet. Stone pylons in neo-Egyptian style. |
| 1824 | Maxwellton House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Submitted scheme for west range - unexecuted. |
| 1824 | Moffat Assembly Room and Baths | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Built as Baths Hall |
| 1824 | New Abbey RC Church with integral priest's house | New Abbey | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| Before 1824 | Kerrfield Cottage | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1824 | Youngfield house and stable block | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1825 | Underwood House | Dryfesdale, near Lockerbie | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1826 | Anwoth Parish Church | Anwoth | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Original building |
| 1826 | Spottes Hall | | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Broad full-height piend roofed projection added. |
| 1827 | Tenement, High Street and Bank Street | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Possibly also responsible for the adjoing tenement 43-49 Bank Street. |
| After 1827 | Gribton Estate | Hollywood | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Gifford gives 'about 1830' |
| 1828 | 61 Irish Street | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - bears some similarities to Moat Brae |
| 1828 | Cardoness House | Kirkcudbright | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| Before 1828(?) | Alton Farm, Drumlanrig Estate | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Date uncertain but most work for the Duke of Buccleuch dates from before 1828 at which point William Burn took over as the preferred architect by the Duke. |
| c. 1828 | Inglestone East Farm | Durisdeer | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Not clear if Newll worked on Ingleston East or West Farm |
| c. 1828 | Inglestone West Farm | Durisdeer | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Not clear if Newall design East or West Ingleston. |
| 1829 | Castlehill steading | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Steading - incorporating existing barn |
| 1829 | Coshogle | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1829 | Crairiehill Farmhouse and steading | Durisdeer | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1829 | Sweetbit Farm | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution by Gifford because of similarity to Alton. |
| c. 1829 | Gateslack | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1830 | Glenlair | Parton | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Double pile house with twin gabled flanks, perhaps enlarging existing house. Newall's house relagated to rear wing following additions by Peddie & Kinnear. |
| After 1830 | Broadholm | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1830 | Crairiepark Farmhouse and Steading | Durisdeer | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Original building (probably- HS) |
| c. 1830 | Riddingwood House | Kirkmahoe | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | 'villa residence and farmery' |
| Before 1831 | St Michael's Kirkyard, two headstones for the Hood Family | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1831 | Holestane Farmhouse, Steading Dairy and outbuildings | Durisdeer | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Date from HS |
| 1832 | Moat Brae | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Newall known to have made measurements of the garden boundary. |
| 1832 | Parton Parish Church | Parton | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| 1832 | Sidmount Cottage | Moffat | | Dunfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1834(?) | Murraythwaite | Dalton, Cummertrees | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Alterations? |
| 1835 | Glencairn Parish Church | Kirkland | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Plans drawn up - McCandlish's designs preferred. |
| 1835 | Irving Street Congregational Church | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution |
| 1835 | Kirkbean Parish Church | Kirkbean | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Two upper stages of tower added. |
| 1835 | Windmill | Dumfries | | Maxwelltown | Scotland | Conversion of windmill into observatory to coincide with the 1835 visit of Halley's Comet. |
| Before 1835 | Mount Annan Cottage | Annan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1837 | Amisfield House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Front range - attribution on stylistic grounds. See Riddingwood and Cleughheads. |
| 1837(?) | Mouswald Manse | Mouswald | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | MacKechnie gives the date as 1830c. |
| 1837 | Tinwald Parish Manse | Tinwald | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| Before 1837 | Muirhouse (possibly), farmhouse and farmstead | Lockerbie | | Dumfreisshire | Scotland | |
| Before 1837 | Upper Cluden, farmhouse and steading | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | No date. |
| 1838 | Corsock parish Church | Corsock | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | May have been the architect - he provided a design for the pulpit gratis. |
| 1838 | Manse | Lochmaben | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1839 | British Linen Bank | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1839 | Halleaths, double cottage and stables | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Double cottage |
| 1840 | Caerlaverock Manse | Caerlaverock | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1840 | Glencairn Manse | Glencairn | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| 1840 | Manse | Kirkland | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1840 | Granton House | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Incorporates previous house. Greek revival country house composed about a central tower in the manner of Smirk's Kinmount and William Burn's Craigielands (1817) (discussed by D Walker (1984)). See also entrance compared to that of Newall's Dumfries Observatory. |
| c. 1840 or c. 1830(?) | Dallawoodie | Holywood | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | House, gatepiers and lodge. |
| 1842 | Southerness Lighthouse | Southerness | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Remodelling of existing navigational pillar. |
| 1842 | Wallace Hall Academy | Closeburn | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Alterations |
| 1843 | Halleaths, double cottage and stables | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | May be by Newall - sophisticated composition with colonnaded angles and deep eaves. |
| 1843 | Lochmaben Free Church | Lochmaben | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1843 | Gillesbie House | Boreland | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Greatly enlarged |
| Before 1844 | Orchardton | Auchencairn | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | New build? Additions? |
| 1845 | Devorgilla Cottage | New Abbey | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Survey plan of grounds. |
| 1845 | Stroquan House | Dunscore | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Additions to existing house - attribution |
| Before 1846 | Cleugheads | Annan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attribution - which seems likely as the Dirom family held Mount Annan and Cleugheads. |
| 1847 | Devorgilla Cottage | New Abbey | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | Outbuildings in the style of Newall - dated 1847. |
| 1847 | River Nith | | | Dumfreisshire | Scotland | Drawing showing levels and depths, Dumfries to Southerness. |
| Before 1848 | Mavisgrove | Dumfries (near) | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | No date in Colvin. |
| 1849 | Dumfries and Maxwelltown water supply | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Designs carried out in conjunction with William Gale of Glasgow. |
| 1849 | Parish Church | Kirkpatrick Durham | | Kirkcudbrightshire | Scotland | |
| 1850 | Glassmount | Moffat | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| c. 1850(?) | Gracefield | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Attirbution. |
| Early 1800s | Conheath House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | |
| Early 1800s | Hoddom Castle | Ecclefechan | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Gateway and porter's lodge |
| Early 1800s | Netherwood House | Dumfries | | Dumnfriesshire | Scotland | |