Hermits and Termits

Yes, that's the name of this house although there are differing opinions as to where the name came from - either from 'Hermitis and Terraris', a pair of crofts which can be traced back to at least the 15th century with the St Leonard's Almshouses, or 'Hermits' from the monks and hermits of St Leonards chapel and hospital which was in existence in 1261 and 'Termits' possibly referring to the overseers of farm land.

The house was built in 1734 for William Clifton, a Solicitor of Excise.
By 1807 it was occupied by Robert Scott, an Edinburgh printmaker famed for his series of topographical views of Edinburgh published in the 1790s and also for the production of the first large geographical globe to be produced in Scotland.

The house became known as Coalyard House and used by the station master in 1831 when the railway was built close by. When the railway closed in 1968 the council took over the house and it fell into decay until, as a project by Architect Benjamin Tindall, it was restored as his own residence.

Despite the interesting history it is difficult to photograph now the trees have grown.