# Granton Country House Hotel, Moffat - Aug 2009



## JEP27 (Aug 11, 2009)

My partner found out about this place whilst searching on the internet for information about another abandoned building in the area. She originally found it on this blog... http://judydelin.blogspot.com/2008/06/ruins-of-granton-house.html . Judy who wrote the blog was told that the hotel had been burned down for the insurance, but the owner of the house replied to her blog stating that the hotel had been struck by lightening and the insurance company therefore would not pay out with it being an "act of God". 

The fire was on Friday 15th August 1997 and details can be found here (from http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=3067&p=0) ...







Granton Country HouseHotel is at Granton, just North of Moffat on the Old Edingburgh Road.

http://www.multimap.com/s/RT0Dshax

When we arrived at Granton we found the main gate and headed into the overgrown grounds. The first thing we came accross was what had confused me when I had looked at the map, a large octagonal shape, which was no less confusing on the ground. The shape itself was made by approximately 9-10ft walls and inside was approximately 80 yards across was taken over by nettles. I assume the octagonal area was a garden originally (a secluded one with very high walls) .If anyone can shed any light on what it really was I would love to know. At one of the edges against the wall was a derelict caravan. I got half way across through the nettles and decided it perhaps wasn't worth fighting through the rest to reach the caravan, so turned back round and headed off in search of the house. 

We found the house. It still looks imposing. It's a lovely building












We went down some stairs to the right when we went in the door into what I took to be the owners accomodation. We found a bathroom still full of everyday items, a kids bedroom, adult bedroom and a room with an exercise bike and sunbed in. 































Further down the corridor was a storage room






The rest of this level was just a shell with vegetation growing through


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## JEP27 (Aug 11, 2009)

We then went upstairs into the guests part of the hotel.


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## JEP27 (Aug 11, 2009)

There was a van that had seen better days next to the front door











We went for a look round the back of the building
















I left the place feeling desperately sorry for the owner if he was left without insurance payment. It must be awful to lose everything a nd even worse to just have to leave it to rot away because it can't be put right.


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## Richard Davies (Aug 11, 2009)

JEP27 said:


> There was a van that had seen better days next to the front door
> 
> 
> 
> ...



There's a similar small hotel at Sparrowpit (between New Mills & Buxton) which has been left unrepaired after a fire in the late 1980s.


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## Foxylady (Aug 12, 2009)

JEP27 said:


>



Love this photo...beautifully done and such gorgeous ironwork.
Interesting place, Jep. Nice find.


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## Krypton (Aug 12, 2009)

If your up in that area, we once stayed at a large victorian house in Moffat about 6yr ago with the Boys Brigade. It was called the "Well Centre". At the time, the place was dropping to bits and i do remember the owner saying not to book in advance because the place will probably be closing next year. I imagine it has closed because it was in a really bad state, one half of the house was closed for being structually unsafe and the owner was skint. Just on one of the roads out of town. Maybe something interesting...

jack


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## tbkscott (Aug 12, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> Love this photo...beautifully done and such gorgeous ironwork.
> Interesting place, Jep. Nice find.



I agree nice work there - well done


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## JEP27 (Aug 12, 2009)

Krypton said:


> If your up in that area, we once stayed at a large victorian house in Moffat about 6yr ago with the Boys Brigade. It was called the "Well Centre". At the time, the place was dropping to bits and i do remember the owner saying not to book in advance because the place will probably be closing next year. I imagine it has closed because it was in a really bad state, one half of the house was closed for being structually unsafe and the owner was skint. Just on one of the roads out of town. Maybe something interesting...
> 
> jack



Not sure if it is the right one, but it may have been rejuvinated... http://www.visitsouthernscotland.co.uk/the-well-road-centre-i2754.html


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## Krypton (Aug 13, 2009)

JEP27 said:


> Not sure if it is the right one, but it may have been rejuvinated... http://www.visitsouthernscotland.co.uk/the-well-road-centre-i2754.html



Yeah thats it. It must have been all done up. One half was all boarded up when we were there and ther was no central heating!


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## Dnallov (Aug 26, 2009)

The date is August 1997; I'm only nine, coming home from a short holiday in France with my parents. We just joined the motorway when suddenly a police car, sirens ablaze, indicates that he requires us to pull over. The officer had news to call my sister immediately... as she has bad news. The next service station we contacted her, with news that we could not go home; there was no more home, as it had been consumed by a fire.

We quickly rebuilt outlives in Lincolnshire & believe it or not I have not seen the old girl for over 10 years... until I found this post. Although in a deeply sorry state, it's still as beautiful as ever.

The insurers never paid & although the case is still alive, the likely hood is that it will never come to anything. Apparently there was one window left open when we went away which deemed the insurance void as it could of enticed burglars. Not sure how & what that’s got to do with a fire caused by lighting, but hay ho.

The land & property is still in my father’s hands, I used to have ambitions to rebuild the place, turn it into a luxury hotel, but with recent estimates being at the 2.5 million mark, I very much doubt that will ever happen. The unfortunate truth is that this majestic building will most probably gradually be consumed by the surrounding nature.

P.S. The plot of land you mentioned was the old warden’s garden.


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## v-w-chick (Aug 26, 2009)

*shame, looks like it would have been rather a grand house, really liking that stairway 
some good old bottles and cans, nice report 
kelly*


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## JEP27 (Sep 20, 2009)

Dnallov said:


> The date is August 1997; I'm only nine, coming home from a short holiday in France with my parents. We just joined the motorway when suddenly a police car, sirens ablaze, indicates that he requires us to pull over. The officer had news to call my sister immediately... as she has bad news. The next service station we contacted her, with news that we could not go home; there was no more home, as it had been consumed by a fire.
> 
> We quickly rebuilt outlives in Lincolnshire & believe it or not I have not seen the old girl for over 10 years... until I found this post. Although in a deeply sorry state, it's still as beautiful as ever.
> 
> ...



I was away on holiday when you posted this and have only just seen it. I am glad you managed to relocate and settle and be happy somewhere. It must have been hard for you all. It is a beautiful place. I hope I didn't cause you too much distress with the pictures of your home and belongings.

Jane


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