Bell Tower, Monteviot House, Crailing, Scottish Borders

Description

Extensive, multi-period, country house developed substantially from early 18th century Palladian-style villa and which is likely to contain 16th century fabric. Roughly L-plan with U-plan service courtyard to N. Villa to S with Edward Blore 1830-32 neo-tudor extensions to E and N; 1877 extension to N and substantial reordering by Walter Schomberg Scott in 1961-3 with extension to W, including formal hall and main entrance. Integral chapel (1960). Predominantly 2-storey, with some wallhead dormers. 18th century section harled rubble with ashlar margins; 19th century sections, squared and coursed stugged sandstone; 20th century wing, rendered with narrow ashlar margins. Hoodmoulding to Blore section. Variety of window openings: some tripartite, some round- or segmental-arched.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: symmetrical 2-storey, 3-bay former villa with flanking concave quadrants linking single-storey, 3-bay pavilions with canted bay windows to S. Blocking course to house with stone ball finials. To right, linking wing leads to 1830-32 extension with bay window at S.

E ELEVATION: 5-bay 1830-32 wing to left with gabled bay to far left with oriel window. Advanced, lower, U-plan gable-ended service court to right with linking single-storey range. Further single-storey linking corridor to 3-stage square-plan balustraded (1877) water tower to far right with square and pepperpot turrets to corners.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 8-bay, double-height 1961-3 extension linked to later piended roof extension. Blocking course. Off-centre moulded doorcase with internal part-glazed timber entrance door. Connects to 19th century wing to left which advances N and leads to open entrance to service courtyard.

Variety of glazing patterns in timber frames. Tall, multi-astragalled timber windows to 1960s great hall. Other windows predominantly multi-astragalled or plate glass timber sash and case; some casement. Some piended roofs. Grey slates. Wallhead and gable end chimney stacks: some with tall, polygonal and grouped diamond-shaft chimney pots. Some decorative iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fine decorative interior dating from the various building periods, partly remodelled by Schomberg Scott in 1960s and with fine 1960s great hall. Great hall with shallow timber vaulted ceiling, timber floor and staircase and gallery with wrought iron balustrade by Thomas Hadden of Edinburgh. Ground floor of 18th century house reconstructed to form library with colourful ceiling paper by Schomberg Scott. Smaller rooms above. Dining room with 19th century plaster panelled ceiling and classical fire surround. Drawing room with high coved ceiling and 18th century decorative fire surround with fluted columns and frieze. Other rooms with decorative cornicing, fire surrounds.

CHAPEL (IN N WING): (remodelled from former servants' wing, Schomberg Scott, 1960.) Timber panelling with carved timber screen to W. Carved timber statues of Border saints.

BELL TOWER to NW: sited on small rise. 19th century, square-plan, battered bell-tower surmounted by open bellcote. Rubble with ashlar margins.

GARDEN TERRACES (to S and W): later 19th century series of mainly rubble sandstone falling terraces to S of house with buttressed retaining wall at N and circular parapetted bastion to W. Curved wall to further W leads to integral brick ornamental alcove with flanking pedestrian entrances with decorative iron gates. Shallow steps with stone balustrades with ball finials lead to the River Teviot.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Monteviot Stables.

Monteviot is a major example of a country house adapted to the needs of successive generations of the same family and it is the seat of the Kerr family. Situated high on the banks of the River Teviot it takes full advantage of its position in its architectural design and the surrounding gardens. An 18th century core house is still evident and some earlier, 16th century fabric is contained within the current house. The 1960s additions are of particular interest as one of the best examples of the work of the Scottish architect, W Schomberg Scott. The decorative interiors are of fine quality with the great hall of outstanding workmanship.

Monteviot House was developed by the Kerr family from an earlier 18th century house and it is liekly that some 16th century fabric from the Medieval hospital of Ancrum Spittal remains at the core of the property. Acquired by the 3rd Marquis of Lothian, it seems to have been used initially for fishing and shooting and was altered at various times in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the 19th century it became the principal residence for the family, which had previously resided at Ferniehurst Castle. The 6th Marquis (1763-1824) started a programme of improvements, which culminated with his son commissioning Edward Blore to build a new neo-tudor style house. Blore drew up a large, rambling scheme, of which only the east wing was completed from 1830-32. The 9th Marquis extended the house to the north, adding a billiard room, a water tower and other structures between 1877 and 1890. He also developed the gardens to the south. In the 1960s, W Schomberg Scott remodelled the original villa, added a long entrance wing, specially to house the family's fine art collection and further family accommodation and he demolished some of the 19th century additions. He remodelled the dining room to house a number of significant pictures and he also remodelled the old 1830-32 servants' hall into a chapel. Much of the fine carved timber work was done by local craftsmen. During and after the Second World War, Monteviot was a hospital and was then let to the White Fathers, a congregation of Catholic missionary priests.

Walter Schomberg Scott (1910-1998) was born at Monteviot and was a grandson of the 7th Marquis of Lothian. He was one of the foremost architects of the 1960s and 70s in Scotland and is well-known particularly for his work with the National Trust for Scotland. He designed the largest post-war country house in Scotland at Dupplin, Perthshire and was responsible also for Gannochy Lodge at Edzell. His alterations at Monteviot are of interest not only because of the family connection but also as they are arguably some of the most interesting post-war country house work in Scotland.

Edward Blore (1787-1879) was an English architect who worked with Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford and Corehouse, New Lanark. He also contributed to and completed the design of Buckingham Palace.

External Links

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