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Issue 28 - A beautifully preserved family seat

History & Heritage

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Scotland Magazine Issue 28

Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 28 on 20/09/2006.

 

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A beautifully preserved family seat

Charles Douglas travels to Mellerstain, near Kelso, home to the Earl of Haddington

A beautifully preserved family seat (Issue 28)
It is widely acknowledged that the library at Mellerstain House, at Gordon in Roxburghshire, is the finest surviving example of the work of that great Scottish architect Robert Adam.

It contains one of the best of his decorated ceilings in the original colours from the 18th century – mauves, greens and terracottas.

Mellerstain House is the home of the 13th Earl of Haddington and his family, the estate having been acquired in 1642 by his ancestor George Baillie of Jerviswood, the son of a flourishing merchant.

Through marriage, the property then passed to two earls of Haddington who in 1725 employed first William Adam to build the two wings, then his son Robert Adam, to design the central block and subsequently supervise the magnificent interior decoration.

The heroine of Mellerstain has to be Grisell Hume, daughter of Sir Patrick Hume, later Earl of Marchmont. Aged 12, she was called upon to visit her father’s friend and fellow Covenanter, George Baillie, who had been imprisoned in the Tolbooth accused of treason. With her, the little girl carried a letter from her father which would have caused outrage had it been discovered.

For their Covenanting sympathies, the Humes were exiled from Scotland to Holland, where Grisell, somewhat older, was courted by George’s son, another George, penniless after his father’s execution in 1684. But when Prince William of Orange acquired the British throne in 1689, the situation changed overnight.

Large numbers of confiscated estates were restored to their original owners, and Grisell Hume married George to become Grisell Baillie.

Her portrait welcomes visitors to this day, and the household book she kept, itemising the day-to-day running of a country house, has survived as a classic of social history.

Rachel Baillie, George and Grisell’s youngest daughter, married Charles, Lord Binning in 1771. While their eldest son succeeded his grandfather as 7th Earl of Haddington, their youngest, George, took the name of Baillie when he inherited the Mellerstain estate.

The Haddington earldom and Mellerstain estate came together when this George’s grandson inherited both.

The interiors and outward appearance of the great house has changed little over the past three and a half centuries. However, the spectacular south-facing terrace and loggie were added in 1909 by Sir Reginald Blomfield, who also enlarged the lake. The current Earl of Haddington’s mother was responsible for the glorious display of roses which continue to bloom on the terraces during the summer months.

There is much to see and admire at Mellerstain.

The bold plaques along the top of the bookcases in the library show Roman and other antique scenes. The collection of books, mostly collected by the early 18th century George Baillie, bear his bookplate of 1724 as one of the Lords of Treasury.

Six marble busts are set in recesses above the library doors.

Of particular note is the ceiling of the music room which is decorated with sphinxes and eagles. Throughout the interiors there is a splendid collection of 18th century furniture, and numerous ancestral portraits, notably by John Scougall and Allan Ramsay. Mellerstain House remains, however, the home of the Haddington Family, and therefore retains a noticeably livedin, welcoming atmosphere.

Surrounding it is a large estate which acts as a wonderful haven for wildlife, with excellent habitat for all kinds of animals and birds. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the chance to escape the hustle and bustle, and take a stroll round the lake or along some of the woodland walks the estate has to offer.

An added attraction is the tea room, and throughout the year a series of classical concerts take place.

In the vaulted halls of the old servants’ quarters, the Mellerstain Art Gallery provides a dramatic setting for exhibitions of high-quality.

In addition, Mellerstain provides facilities for conferences and events, and there is an in-house wedding planner, Lesley Hunter, who helps coordinate top-class entertainment.

There is one more and rather eccentric facility on offer to visitors. Through Native Woodlands Ltd, based in Edinburgh, is the natural burial ground of Hundy Mundy Wood. There are now more than 200 such places in the United Kingdom, where you can choose to be laid to rest, or have your ashes scattered, an alternative to more conventional funeral services. When you purchase a plot at Hundy Mundy, you buy a ‘right of burial’ which lasts for 50 years.

For those who simply fall in love with this place, as many do, arrangements can be made to stay on here indefinitely.

Information
Mellerstain House, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6LG
Tel: +44 (0)1573 410 225
Email: enquiries@mellerstain.com
Website: www.mellerstain.com
House open to the public: May 1-Sept 30: Wed-Fri and Sun-Mon 12:30-17:00; Oct: Sun 12:30-1700