Mertoun House
Encyclopedia
Mertoun House is a country house situated by the River Tweed
, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of St Boswells in the Scottish Borders
. It is home to the Duke of Sutherland
for the majority of the year. The early 18th-century house is category-A listed, and was designed by Sir William Bruce. The gardens of the house are open to the public, and are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
, the national listing of significant gardens.
, which is also category-A listed. In 1703 work on a new house was begun by Sir William's grandson, to designs by Sir Willam Bruce. Around 1750 improvements were made to the house when Walter Scott of Mertoun married Lady Diana Hume Campbell, a daughter of the Earl of Marchmont
. Their son Hugh was confirmed as Lord Polwarth
in 1835, and Hugh's son Henry
commissioned William Burn
to design an extension to the south of the house. In the early 19th century the writer Sir Walter Scott, a kinsman of the Scotts of Mertoun, was a regular visitor, and composed "The Eve of St John" at Mertoun. Much of the present landscape garden around the house was laid by 1865, including the removal of a small village which lay north-west of the house, and the construction of the walled garden
around Old Mertoun House.
The Scotts sold Mertoun in 1912 to John Egerton, Viscount Brackley
(later 4th Earl of Ellesmere), who carried out alterations to the house and gardens. The property passed to his son, the 5th Earl of Ellesmere
(1915–2000), who became 6th Duke of Sutherland in 1963. The house was reduced to its original size in 1956, by the architect Ian Gordon Lindsay
, removing the 19th- and 20th-century additions. In 1984 the Duke established the Mertoun Gardens Trust as a charitable body to run the 26 acres (10.5 ha) gardens, which have been open to the public since. The house remains private, and is now the home of the 7th Duke of Sutherland
.
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
, 2 miles (3.2 km) east of St Boswells in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
. It is home to the Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland
Duke of Sutherland, derived from Sutherland in Scotland, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom held by the head of the Leveson-Gower family. It was created by William IV in 1833 for George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Marquess of Stafford...
for the majority of the year. The early 18th-century house is category-A listed, and was designed by Sir William Bruce. The gardens of the house are open to the public, and are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a continually evolving list...
, the national listing of significant gardens.
History
Mertoun was a property of the Halliburton family, who sold it to Sir William Scott of Harden in around 1680. Old Mertoun House, dated 1677, was already in existence at this time, as was the 16th-century dovecoteDovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
, which is also category-A listed. In 1703 work on a new house was begun by Sir William's grandson, to designs by Sir Willam Bruce. Around 1750 improvements were made to the house when Walter Scott of Mertoun married Lady Diana Hume Campbell, a daughter of the Earl of Marchmont
Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont
Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont PC FRS , styled Lord Polwarth between 1724 and 1740, was a Scottish politician....
. Their son Hugh was confirmed as Lord Polwarth
Lord Polwarth
Lord Polwarth, of Polwarth in the County of Berwick, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1690 for Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth, 2nd Baronet, Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1696 to 1702...
in 1835, and Hugh's son Henry
Henry Hepburne-Scott, 7th Lord Polwarth
Henry Francis Hepburne-Scott, 7th Lord Polwarth was firstly a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Roxburghshire, 1826–32, then a Representative Peer for Scotland in the House of Lords at Westminster...
commissioned William Burn
William Burn
William Burn was a Scottish architect, pioneer of the Scottish Baronial style.He was born in Edinburgh, the son of architect Robert Burn, and educated at the Royal High School. After training with the architect of the British Museum, Sir Robert Smirke, he returned to Edinburgh in 1812...
to design an extension to the south of the house. In the early 19th century the writer Sir Walter Scott, a kinsman of the Scotts of Mertoun, was a regular visitor, and composed "The Eve of St John" at Mertoun. Much of the present landscape garden around the house was laid by 1865, including the removal of a small village which lay north-west of the house, and the construction of the walled garden
Walled garden
A walled garden is specifically a garden enclosed by high walls for horticultural rather than security purposes, though traditionally all gardens have been hedged about or walled for protection from animal or human intruders...
around Old Mertoun House.
The Scotts sold Mertoun in 1912 to John Egerton, Viscount Brackley
John Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere
Lieutenant-Colonel John Francis Granville Scrope Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere MVO KJStJ was a British peer and soldier, known as Viscount Brackley before 1914....
(later 4th Earl of Ellesmere), who carried out alterations to the house and gardens. The property passed to his son, the 5th Earl of Ellesmere
John Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland
thumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]John Sutherland Egerton, 6th Duke of Sutherland , styled Viscount Brackley until 1944 and known as The Earl of Ellesmere between 1944 and 1963, was a British peer.-Background and education:the son of John Egerton, 4th Earl of Ellesmere and Lady Violet...
(1915–2000), who became 6th Duke of Sutherland in 1963. The house was reduced to its original size in 1956, by the architect Ian Gordon Lindsay
Ian Gordon Lindsay
-Early life:He was born in Edinburgh in 1906, son of George Herbert Lindsay, distiller and baillie or town councillor, and Helen Eliza Turnbull. He was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge....
, removing the 19th- and 20th-century additions. In 1984 the Duke established the Mertoun Gardens Trust as a charitable body to run the 26 acres (10.5 ha) gardens, which have been open to the public since. The house remains private, and is now the home of the 7th Duke of Sutherland
Francis Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland
Francis Ronald Egerton, 7th Duke of Sutherland , known as Francis Egerton until 2000, is a British peer.Sutherland is the son of Cyril Reginald Egerton, the grandson of Francis Egerton, 3rd Earl of Ellesmere. His mother was Mary, daughter of Sir Ronald Campbell...
.