Lot 238
Scotland
The Paxton collection of estate and feuing plans, 18th-20th century
Auction: From the Library of Professor Roland Paxton | 01 October 2026 from 10am | Lots 221 to 252
Description
a) Manuscript estate plans and surveys, ink, pencil and occasionally watercolour, often linen-backed, comprising: Sketch of Part of the River Leven by John Bell, 1796, 24 x 63cm, on laid paper, with compass rose, depicting the course of the river through Strathendry, old reinforcement to verso along folds, Plan of Banks and Shore near to Spital, belonging to James Greive Esquire, Thomas Bell and Sons, Surveyors, 1844, 56.5 x 35.5cm; Plan of the Estate of Powderhall in the Parish of St Cuthberts, Edinburghshire, the Property of Major W. M. Donald of Callie, surveyed by Marsh & Leslie, 1828, 78 x 105cm, losses and browning along top edge, spotting; [Craigleith quarry], c.1890, 65 x 66.5cm; [Two reservoirs possibly in the Pentland Hills], c.1790, 37.5 x 56.5cm, signed at foot by one William Sibbald (according to a manuscript note by Roland Paxton to verso, listed in the Edinburgh Directory for 1793 as ‘architect and superintendent of public works'); [Designs for front elevations and sections of ‘Ingrie’ in Strathendry, by R. Bell, Edinburgh architect, 1857], 48.5 x 26.2cm, with a small plan of the estate around Ingrie, 24 x 19.5cm.
b) Edinburgh feuing plans, all colour lithographs (or possibly photozincographs), backed on linen, titled as follows: Plan for Building upon Part of the estate of Dean adjoining Stockbridge belonging to Lieut Col. Alex. Learmonth, 1871, John Chesser, Archt, 48.5 x 48cm; North Merchiston Feuing Plan, John C. Hay, Architect, 1882, 76 x 55.5cm, with 2 copies of an alternative plan, Feuing Plan of North Merchiston Estate, 30.5 x 24cm, one tipped to larger plan along upper margin, one loose; The Lands of Plewlands, belonging to the Scottish Heritages Compy Limited, 1882, with vignettes of 7 varieties of proposed housing types in margins, 38 x 50.4cm; Plan of Ground to Feu at Meadowfield, Morningside, for Self-Contained Houses and Semi-Detached Villas, 79 x 60.5cm, with 4 vignettes of proposed housing types; Inverleith Terrace, Fettes Estate, Feuing Plan of Ground at Inverleith Terrace, Feuing Architect R. Rowand Anderson, 1892, 75.5 x 51cm (with old repair); Feuing Plan of West Craigmillar Park, Part of the Estate of Craigmillar, the Property of Walter James Litter Gilmour Esq., David Cousin, Architect, 1873, 51 x 72.8cm, spotted; Feuing Plan of Waverley Park, being Part of the Lands of Mayfield and Rosebank, the Property of Duncan McLaren, Esq., M.P., David Cousin, Architect, 1878, 51 x 62.5cm; Trinity Hospital Quarryholes Feuing Estate Memorandum of Particulars as to Ground Feued to Date, since 187, 1901, folio booklet containing text and lithographic plan.
c) Printed estate plans, all lithographic, most hand-coloured, comprising: Plan of the Town Land of Largs … by Peter Macquiesten, 1829, 52 x 41cm, a few tears; Sketch of the Estate of Bencloich or Campsie and Parts of the Estate of Kilsyth, 1834, lithographed by Forrester and Nichol from a survey by Wiliam Crawford, 67 x 59cm, small repair to title, a few stains; Plan of Mauldslee Entailed Estate, 1872, 48.5 x 61cm, together with a very large and possibly related plan of the same area, titled Plan I.C. Harvie v Thornton’s Trustees, Harvie v. Sir W. C. Anstruther, 97 x 105.5cm; Plan of the Mugdrum Estate on the Borders of Perthshire and Fifeshare for Sale by Auction by Messrs Knight, Frank & Rutley, 1913, 81 x 104cm; Plan of Part of the Estate of Closeburn the Property of Sir C. G. Stuart Meneath Bart, 1845, 97 x 66cm, with lithographic vignettes of Crichope Linn and Closeburn Castle, spotting along folds, repairs verso (a folder)
Provenance
From the collection of the late Professor Roland Paxton MBE FICE FRSE (1932-2025), 'Britain's foremost historian of civil engineering' (Telegraph, obituary, 12th November 2025); Professor Paxton was also a leading conservationist of Britain's engineering heritage, and led successful campaigns to restore two of the world's most important railway structures, the Laigh Milton Viaduct in Ayrshire, the world's oldest surviving railway bridge, and the Union Chain Bridge, the world's oldest suspension bridge still carrying road traffic.