Tyninghame House
Encyclopedia
Tyninghame House is a mansion in East Lothian
, Scotland. It is located by the mouth of the River Tyne
, 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) east of Tyninghame and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of Dunbar
. There was a manor at Tyninghame in 1094, and it was later a property of the Lauder of The Bass family. In the 17th century it was sold to the Earl of Haddington
. The present building dates from 1829 when the 9th Earl of Haddington
employed William Burn
to greatly enlarge the house in the Baronial style. In 1987 the contents of the house were sold, and the house was divided into flats.
The house is protected as a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
, the national listing of significant gardens.
on the lands in 1094, when it was mentioned in a charter of Duncan II of Scotland
to the monks of St Cuthberts. From 1250 into the 16th century Tyninghame was held by the Bishops of St Andrews
. It was leased to the Lauder family as a winter residence. The Lauders owned The Bass, and lived there in the summer. In 1617 the Dowager Lady Bass, Isabella Hepburn (widow of George Lauder of The Bass
(d.1611)) made additions to the house.
received that title in exchange for that of Earl of Melrose he acquired Tyninghame by purchase. His son was killed in an explosion at Dunglass Castle in 1640, and by 1669 the 5th Earl had inherited the property. He married Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes, daughter of the Duke of Rothes
, and lived mainly on his wife's estate. His son, the 6th Earl
, took up residence at Tyninghame following his marriage around 1700. He found the estate in poor condition, and set about renovating and replanting. He is largely responsible for the layout of the parks which survives today, including avenues, plantations, and the 400 acres (161.9 ha) Binning Wood. A noted agricultural improver, the Earl wrote a book, A Treatise on the Manner of Raising Forest Trees, published in 1761.
In 1791 Charles, the 8th Earl, renovated the house, but these were superseded by the works carried out by the 9th Earl
. In 1828 he commissioned William Burn
to redesign the house in the Scots Baronial style. Burn made only limited alterations to the plan of the house, but totally altered the elevations, refacing most of the building in red sandstone, and adding turrets and other details. The original 17th-century masonry can be seen on the south facade. The 9th Earl also carried out further plantings in the parks, and erected an obelisk in 1856 to commemorate the work of the 5th Earl.
On the death of the 9th Earl in 1858, the estate was inherited by a cousin, George Baillie of Mellerstain
. His son, the 11th Earl carried out further plantings in the 1880s, including the Walled Gardens. Formal gardens, including Lady Haddington's Secret Garden, were established by the the 12th Earl
and his wife in the 20th century. The house was featured in Country Life
on 7 August 1975, and in Scottish Field in August 1953. After the 12th Earl died in 1986, the 13th Earl chose to retain Mellerstain House
near Duns
as his main residence, and Tyninghame was sold the following year. The bulk of the contents were auctioned by Sotheby's
in a two-day sale at the house, on 28–29 September 1987. The house was then divided into apartments by country house developer Kit Martin
.
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland. It is located by the mouth of the River Tyne
River Tyne, Scotland
The River Tyne is a river in Scotland, UK. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills in Midlothian near Tynehead to the south of Edinburgh, at the junction of the B6458 and the B6367. It continues for approx...
, 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) east of Tyninghame and 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) west of Dunbar
Dunbar
Dunbar is a town in East Lothian on the southeast coast of Scotland, approximately 28 miles east of Edinburgh and 28 miles from the English Border at Berwick-upon-Tweed....
. There was a manor at Tyninghame in 1094, and it was later a property of the Lauder of The Bass family. In the 17th century it was sold to the Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington , designated before his peerage as 'of Drumcarny, Monkland, and Binning', was a Scottish administrator, Lord Advocate, judge, and Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire.-Family:...
. The present building dates from 1829 when the 9th Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington KT PC FRS , known as Lord Binning from 1794 to 1828, was a British Conservative politician and statesman.-Background and education:...
employed 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 greatly enlarge the house in the Baronial style. In 1987 the contents of the house were sold, and the house was divided into flats.
The house is protected as a category A listed building, and the grounds 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.
History
There was a manorManor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
on the lands in 1094, when it was mentioned in a charter of Duncan II of Scotland
Duncan II of Scotland
Donnchad mac Maíl Coluim was king of Scots...
to the monks of St Cuthberts. From 1250 into the 16th century Tyninghame was held by the Bishops of St Andrews
Archbishop of St Andrews
The Bishop of St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews and then, as Archbishop of St Andrews , the Archdiocese of St Andrews.The name St Andrews is not the town or church's original name...
. It was leased to the Lauder family as a winter residence. The Lauders owned The Bass, and lived there in the summer. In 1617 the Dowager Lady Bass, Isabella Hepburn (widow of George Lauder of The Bass
George Lauder of The Bass
Sir George Lauder of The Bass, Knt., , was a cleric, Privy Counsellor, and Member of the Scottish Parliament. He was also Tutor to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales.-Family:...
(d.1611)) made additions to the house.
Earls of Haddington
In 1628 when Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of HaddingtonThomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Haddington , designated before his peerage as 'of Drumcarny, Monkland, and Binning', was a Scottish administrator, Lord Advocate, judge, and Lord Lieutenant of Haddingtonshire.-Family:...
received that title in exchange for that of Earl of Melrose he acquired Tyninghame by purchase. His son was killed in an explosion at Dunglass Castle in 1640, and by 1669 the 5th Earl had inherited the property. He married Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes, daughter of the Duke of Rothes
John Leslie, 1st Duke of Rothes
John Leslie , son of John Leslie, 6th Earl of Rothes, was the 7th Earl of Rothes and 1st Duke of Rothes. He was a descendant of Princess Beatrix, sister of King Malcolm III of Scotland...
, and lived mainly on his wife's estate. His son, the 6th Earl
Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 6th Earl of Haddington KT was a Scottish politician.The son of Charles Hamilton, 5th Earl of Haddington and Margaret Leslie, 8th Countess of Rothes, he was christened on 5 September 1680...
, took up residence at Tyninghame following his marriage around 1700. He found the estate in poor condition, and set about renovating and replanting. He is largely responsible for the layout of the parks which survives today, including avenues, plantations, and the 400 acres (161.9 ha) Binning Wood. A noted agricultural improver, the Earl wrote a book, A Treatise on the Manner of Raising Forest Trees, published in 1761.
In 1791 Charles, the 8th Earl, renovated the house, but these were superseded by the works carried out by the 9th Earl
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington
Thomas Hamilton, 9th Earl of Haddington KT PC FRS , known as Lord Binning from 1794 to 1828, was a British Conservative politician and statesman.-Background and education:...
. In 1828 he 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 redesign the house in the Scots Baronial style. Burn made only limited alterations to the plan of the house, but totally altered the elevations, refacing most of the building in red sandstone, and adding turrets and other details. The original 17th-century masonry can be seen on the south facade. The 9th Earl also carried out further plantings in the parks, and erected an obelisk in 1856 to commemorate the work of the 5th Earl.
On the death of the 9th Earl in 1858, the estate was inherited by a cousin, George Baillie of Mellerstain
George Baillie-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Haddington
George Baillie-Hamilton, 10th Earl of Haddington , known as George Baillie until 1858, was a Scottish Conservative politician....
. His son, the 11th Earl carried out further plantings in the 1880s, including the Walled Gardens. Formal gardens, including Lady Haddington's Secret Garden, were established by the the 12th Earl
George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington
George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington, Kt, MC, TD , was a Scottish Peer from 1917 to 1986. Educated at Eton and Sandhurst, he was awarded the Military Cross during the First World War. In World War II he was a Wing Commander in the RAFVR. He was Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1952...
and his wife in the 20th century. The house was featured in Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
on 7 August 1975, and in Scottish Field in August 1953. After the 12th Earl died in 1986, the 13th Earl chose to retain Mellerstain House
Mellerstain House
Mellerstain House is a stately home around 13 kilometres north of Kelso in the Borders, Scotland. It is currently the home of the 13th Earl of Haddington....
near Duns
Duns
Duns is the county town of the historic county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders.-Early history:Duns law, the original site of the town of Duns, has the remains of an Iron Age hillfort at its summit...
as his main residence, and Tyninghame was sold the following year. The bulk of the contents were auctioned by Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
in a two-day sale at the house, on 28–29 September 1987. The house was then divided into apartments by country house developer Kit Martin
Kit Martin
Kit Martin is an English architect and country house property developer.-Career:Martin is the son of Sir Leslie Martin, Professor of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. Since the 1970s Martin has specialised in the saving and restoration of country houses, by dividing them into smaller...
.