Thymbra and Seacraig, 60-64 Tay Street

Thymbra Lodge

Thymbra and Seacraig stand out on Tay Street for their fairly ornate Italianate architectural style. Built in the 1830s the property comprised two houses. The southern half was Maryfield House/Cottage until around 1880 and thereafter Thymbra Lodge, and the northern half Seacraig. The two houses were probably built by members of the Just family.

The Just Family

For much of the second half of the nineteenth century Maryfield/Thymbra was owned by the Rev Thomas Just, a member of the extensive Just family who were responsible for building, and thereafter owning, much of West Newport. There were two Rev Thomas Justs, father and son, ministers of the Independent Congregational Church when its meeting place was still the chapel on West Road. Thomas junior owned Thymbra. The house was split in two around 1950 and at some point a large extension was added to the rear.

Thymbra is the Latin name for Mediterranean thyme, but Thymbra is also the site of a 6th century Eastern European battle! We prefer to think that perhaps the house was named for the profusion of pink thyme in the garden at one time.

Seacraig

Very early in its history, in the 1840s, Seacraig was owned briefly by the Dundee Infirmary and Lunatic Asylum. We don’t know if patients were ever housed here, but we do know that a century later Seacraig operated as a nursing home for almost ten years in the 1930s and 1940s. We know of at least one elderly Newport resident who was born there!

Seacraig well

In the garden to the rear there is a deep well, and at one time there was an orangery on the east side of the house.

The name Seacraig can be confusing as several properties in the area use(d) it. The house immediately next door at 66 Tay Street is Seacraig Cottage. Further up James Street and round the corner into King Street, stood Seacraig Cottages which were demolished in the  1950s. Finally, Seacraig House, a larger property, stood nearer to King Street but with grounds stretching down to Union Street. It too was demolished in the 1950s, and of course the name is retained in the present day Seacraig Court houses which were built on the site.

On the wall outside Seacraig is the Victorian post-box, fairly rare, but there are actually three in Newport, a nod to our Victorian heritage.