Balgone

The following is from the Historic Environment Scotland Gardens and Designed Landscapes Inventory. For the most up-to-date Inventory entry, please visit the Historic Environment Scotland website.

Type of Site

Remnant of an 18th century formal park layout, incorporating 19th century picturesque lakes, cliff walks and remains of 19th century formal garden, with new garden incorporated.

Location and Setting

Balgone estate lies on rising ground to the north of the A1 , 6km north-west of East Linton, and 4km south of North Berwick. The estate, situated in East Lothian's gently undulating, rich farmlands, is bordered on all sides by minor roads. The views from Balgone form an important part of the landscape setting. A view extends along a 19th century garden walk out to North Berwick Law. There are also views southwards to Traprain Law. A surprise view extends from a cliff edge over picturesque rugged rocks towards the adjoining Rockville estate.

The Balgone estate is shown on Johannes Blaeu's survey (1654) and John Adair's Map of East Lothian (1682).

The earliest known estate map is a 1739 survey by Andrew Mackay. This shows the house with formal gardens to the north, surrounded by regular plantations. An avenue extends from the south front of the house up to a formal plantation perched on a cliff edge. Further development took place in the 19th century when the lakes below the cliff to the north of the house were created. Other 19th century landscape additions included driveways to the north and south.

Although the layout of the 18th century designed landscape can still be discerned , 20th century changes in land management mean that many areas which were laid out as parkland are now arable. The western avenue does not survive, nor does the tree-lined vista which extended to the south.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

Balgone House is an early 18th century E-plan house incorporating 16th and 17th century fabric. The mansion is three-storeyed and was extensively added to in the 19th century. Eighteenth century additions included a second stair to create a symmetrical front and Pavilions with quadrant links. In the 19th century a large baronial wing was added to the north-east, and a single storey link between the towers was formed. These 19th century additions were removed in 1992. The baronial North Lodge and entrance arch date from 1862. The Den Lodge and West Lodge are 19th century single-storey buildings.

Drives and Approaches

The main approach is from North Lodge which stills gives a picturesque approach to the house along the north side of the lake, then ascends through mixed deciduous woodland on Balgone Heughs. This drive was a major component of the mid-19th century landscaping scheme and involved cutting through the cliff to the north of the house. A second entrance led from the west through a grand baronial lodge by Brownrigg Farm. This is no longer part of the estate and the route of this drive can only be traced with difficulty.

Another 18th century drive entered the estate south of the West Lodge and from the same minor road. The South Lodge has been demolished but the line of the southern approach drive can be traced through a shelter belt up to Sheriff Hall farmhouse. From this point the route becomes a farm track to the farm buildings, but it may originally have continued directly to join the main south approach, with which it is aligned.

Paths and Walks

There is still a circuit of walks and rides around the lakes, though some parts are now overgrown.

Parkland

The parkland to the south-west of Balgone House has altered considerably as farming practices have changed. In Belverdere Park views from the belverdere still exist towards craggy outcrops of rock. This area was laid out as ornamental adjunct to the house, and the surrounding parks are still based on the existing enclosure boundaries. No tree planting survives, except three ash (Fraxinus excelsior) on the north side of the vista.

Woodland

Balgone Heughs, the cliff to the north of the house, is a natural rocky outcrop which was not exploited for its picturesque qualities until the 19th century. D. Croal comments: 'As a piece of landscape gardening, we know and could conceive of nothing finer than the way in which advantage has been taken of the natural formation of the ground to open up vistas of park scenery that in their grandeur of character, and extent of range, can hardly be paralleled in the county.'

Balgone Heughs is covered by mostly mixed deciduous woodland and includes oak (Quercus robur), sycamore, (Acer pseudoplatanus), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), common beech (Fagus sylvatica), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), silver birch (Betula pendula), yew (Taxus baccata), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). The north side of the lake is marked on the older plans as 'Pasture of the Parks' or 'Pasture of the Avenue' which was planted in an avenue-like fashion as far back as 1798, before the lake was made. The existing Sitka spruce (Picea sitchenensis) was planted recently.

The Gardens

The gardens to the north of the house survive from the mid-19th century improvements described by D. Croal (Sketches of East Lothian, 1885):

'The antique flower garden to the north of the house has been swept away, with its old and formal walks, and its place taken by an open flower border, through the centre of which a broad avenue gives a fine view of the dark cone of North Berwick Law, and leads to the edge of the wooded precipice, from which, far in the hollow beneath, can be described the placid waters of the loch.'

These gardens have now been cleared and the area is being redesigned with grass walks between beech hedges.

A walled garden existed to the north side of the north pavilion and coach house. This was dismantled in the 19th century when a new walled garden was created on land near Rockville. This area has now been enclosed once more by rebuilding a low wall with railings and gates. The original south and west walls survive.

In the north-west corner of the garden is an unidentified feature enclosed by a square planting of yew trees. An occasional Irish yew (Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata') remains from the 19th century layout. To the south of the house a small walled potager has been created.

Walled Garden

A walled garden existed to the north side of the north pavilion and coach house. This was dismantled in the 19th century when a new walled garden was created on land near Rockville. This area has now been enclosed once more by rebuilding a low wall with railings and gates. The original south and west walls survive.