Monreith House is a category A listed Georgian

Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

 mansion located 1.5 kilometre (0.93205910497471 mi) east of the village of Port William in Mochrum

Mochrum

Mochrum is a small agricultural parish in Wigtownshire on the west of the Machars peninsula, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It has a population of about 125 which is considerably lower than the population of about 150 years ago. It lies 3.1 km north of the small fishing village of Port...

 parish, Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway

Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...

, Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The classical-style house was designed by Alexander Stevens in 1791, for Sir William Maxwell, 4th Baronet. The new house replaced the now-ruined Myrton Castle on the estate. The grounds of the house are included in 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, and are classed as "outstanding" in five out of six categories.

History

The Maxwell family first acquired Monreith in the 15th century, and built Myrton Castle on the estate. William Maxwell of Monreith was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1681. Magdalene Blair, wife of the third baronet, made tapestries of the gardens in the mid 17th century, which remain in the house. Sir William Maxwell, 4th Baronet, inherited the estate in 1771 and commissioned the present Monreith House from Alexander Stevens (1739–1796) in 1791. Sir William also laid out the grounds of the house as they largely remain today. In 1821 the porch was added to designs by Sir Robert Smirke.

Sir Herbert Maxwell

Sir Herbert Maxwell, 7th Baronet

The Rt. Hon. Sir Herbert Eustace Maxwell, 7th Baronet of Monreith, KT, PC, FRS, FRGS was a Scottish novelist, essayist, horticulturalist and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1880 to 1906....

 (1845–1937) succeeded as 7th Baronet in 1877. He sat as Member of Parliament for Wigtownshire

Wigtownshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Wigtownshire, was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was represented by one Member of Parliament....

 from 1880 to 1906, and was admitted to the Privy Council

Privy Council of the United Kingdom

Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...

 in 1897. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown

Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown

This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Wigtownshire, a county in the Dumfries and Galloway council area of south-west Scotland.-Title:...

 until 1935. In 1911 he published a book on Scottish gardens, and developed a substantial plant collection at Monreith. Following his death and the Second World War, the house was rented and the gardens declined. The 9th baronet inherited the estate in the 1980s and carried out restoration work to the house, including the creation of holiday accommodation. In March 2011, Monreith House was the subject of a Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 television documentary presented by hotelier Ruth Watson

Ruth Watson

Ruth Watson , is an English hotelier, broadcaster and food writer.-Early life and career:Born in London, Ruth Watson was educated in London and at Westonbirt School in Gloucestershire...

 as part of her Country House Rescue

Country House Rescue

Country House Rescue is an observational documentary series which airs on British terrestrial television channel, Channel 4. The series has also aired on BBC Canada, ABC1 in Australia and Living in New Zealand....

series.

Monreith Cross

The Monreith Cross is a 10th-century free-standing carved stone cross. The cross stands 2.3 metres (7.5 ft) high, and the circular head is 0.45 metres (1.5 ft) across. The cross originally stood on a hill known as the Mowr or Moure, but was moved several times. In 1974 it was removed from the Monreith estate for conservation, and is now on display in the Whithorn

Whithorn

Whithorn is a former royal burgh in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about ten miles south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, Candida Casa : the 'White [or 'Shining'] House', built by Saint Ninian about 397.-Eighth and twelfth centuries:A...

Museum.