Cammo House

http://portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/hes/web/f?p=PORTAL:DESIGNATIONS:0

Type of Site

An early 18th century formal estate landscape, wilderness and gardens that were remodelled in the late 18th century/ early 19th century as a landscape park. A fine example of a strong, landscape structure, surrounding a 'Country Seat' which, once established, provided an enduring landscape framework.

Location and Setting

Cammo lies on the north-west outskirts of Edinburgh, some 5km from the city centre, on the west side of the A90. The designed landscape of Craigiehall (q.v. Inventory, Volume 5, p.35-41) lies on the northern and western perimeters of the Cammo Estate. Urban development (20th century) has grown to meet Cammo Estate on its eastern boundary and has developed along its northern edge, between the park and the River Almond.

Cammo lies on the edge of the broad, Lothians lowlands plain and is set out on the east-facing slopes of Lennie Hill, one of the many higher areas of igneous outcrops which interrupt the more gently rolling farmlands. The south park rises up to form Mauseley Hill, a more rugged area of ground. A principal vista, part of Clerk's scheme, leads from the south front of Cammo House to focus on distant Spittal Hill, within the Pentlands. Some sections of the formal lime avenue (Tilia x eurupaea), which line this vista, survive.

To the north the land falls away towards the Firth of Forth coastal plain, and from some areas there are long views of Fife to the north. There is a major view into the site from the A902 (Clermiston-North Gyle), where the view focuses on the water tower acting as an eyecatcher, glimpses of the stables and the distinct outline of Mauseley Hill with a clump on its summit. This is a familiar local landmark.

The extent of the designed landscape has changed little since Clerk's time. It is bounded by Cammo Road to the north, Cammo Walk to the east, Craig Road to the south, and farmland and Turnhouse Golf Course to the west. Roy's Survey (1747-55) gives little detail except for the avenue to the east.

The most notable change has been in the diversion of Cammo Road to the north. Knox (1812) indicates a road through the estate, north of the present entrance and across the north side of the house. In the mid 19th century this was diverted northwards to run closer to the River Almond (1853, OS 6") and still survives as a track from Cammo Home Farm. The strip of land left between the River Almond and the new route of the Cammo Road effectively separated the river from the designed landscape, and was subsequently developed for housing (20th century).

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

The ruins of Cammo House sit on a podium and consist of the south-facing façade of the ground floor including the front door and pediment. A Single-span Bridge, with dated keystone, 1762, and initials IW for the Watson family, carries the east drive to the house. To the north of this, a rustic Rubble Footbridge crosses the burn. The Stables, dated 1811, with initials IW for the Watson family, comprising a U-plan classical stable block, with octagonal tower, were designed by Robert Reid (1774-1856). The Gate Lodge, dated 1879, built by the Watsons, is a single-storey, three bay building. The central front door lintels carries the initials CW. The gateway has four ashlar Gate Piers with pyramidal caps. To the south-west of Cammo House lies a late 18th or early 19th century Walled Garden, with brick-lined rubble walls lined by the remains of potting sheds. The south-facing wall is a hot wall with flues. The eastern entrance to the garden has a pair of banded ashlar gate piers and cornice. An early 19th century circular and castellated Water Tower, formerly Cammo windmill, is situated on low-lying ground. To the south-west of Cammo House is a Canal some 140m long, running ESE-WNW. A sandstone paved platform base to the north-east may be the remains of a timber terminal pavilion with portico of considerable length. A polyhedron dial sundial has been removed from Cammo for safekeeping and is in the care of the National Trust. The shaft is dated 1795, and inscribed Charles Watson.

Drives and Approaches

The drive approaches Cammo House from the east, passes over the Bughtlin Burn and past a 19th century lodge, then along the remains of a lime avenue. Recent planting has somewhat detracted from its formality. As its western end, the drive curves northwards to reach the south front of the house. At this point there is 19th century planting of mixed deciduous and coniferous trees underplanted with cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). The 18th century approach led through entrance gates into a walled forecourt (Clerk, 1722).

The southern drive no longer exists. By 1822, the Southern Avenue had been thinned and the principal entrance lay along the east drive. Nevertheless the axis of the Southern Avenue survives as a vista.

Parkland

The broad configuration of Clerk's early 18th century landscape still forms the structure of the modern landscape, his series of regular field compartments ornamented with roundels, and woodlands set out around a formal garden approached by avenues can be clearly traced. The only actual features of Clerk's landscape to survive in themselves are the East Avenue, the South Avenue, the roundel in Sheep Park, a grove in Larch Tree Meadow and the western perimeter belt.

In the north of the estate the position of Clerk's circular clump, the north-east of the house at the junction of the North, South and West Parks survives (Clerk, 1722; Bell, 1805; 1893, OS 25") although a formal walk leading eastwards is now gone. A walk on the north-south axis of the mount extended to the River Almond, its position surviving as a track. The configuration of the park follows Clerk's layout although the planting has not survived, the boundaries alone remaining constant.

To the east of the house, the early 19th century lawns (Bell, 1805) stretched southwards from the north parks and eastwards to the entrance lodge on the perimeter of the estate. Forming these lawns involved the removal of some of Clerk's filed boundaries and planting parkland trees. This area of parkland survives. The early 19th century lawns to the south of the house were created by thinning the South Avenue, although the open vista was kept. This area has become much more enclosed as scrub and mature trees have developed.

A clump of trees, south of the South Avenue and originally planted by Clerk, has disappeared, as has a 19th century plantation that was developed on rising ground behind the clump. Four Mile Park on the south-west perimeter of the park, formed in the early 19th century, is now a golf course. Mauseley Hill, in Sheep Park, is topped by a clump as shown on Clerk's scheme, and a stone dyke also encloses this knoll.

The Bughtlin Burn forms the eastern boundary of the park. Its banks are lined with stone revetting, and it was planted up within a perimeter belt by 1805. a walk along the burn probably survives from this scheme and, by 1805, it extended through Buflan Glen and then along the south banks of the Almond. Housing development now lines the Cammo Road in Buchlan Glen and along the riverside.

The Gardens

No formal gardens or walks survive and the site is managed as a country park, with informal meadows and woodland walks. The area occupied by Clerk's parterres and their enclosing bank can still be discerned on the ground, to the north of the mansion. The 19th century gardens were a development of the 18th century layout and mainly consisted of walks to the south-east of the house, a formal walk leading along the north side of the canal and through the plantation sheltering the walled kitchen garden. A cobbled walk leads from the east end of the canal past the 19th century stableblock.

Areas of the shrubbery survive alongside conifers from the 19th century pinetum to the north and south-west of the house. North and north-west of the house there is an area of 19th century planting including copper beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Purpurea'), Chamaecyparis sp., and Abies sp. And the remains of a formal yew hedging.