Craigtoun

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

Type of Site

19th and early 20th century formal gardens, with early 20th century picturesque-model village, set within a multi-period parkland.

Location and Setting

Craigtoun Park is situated 3.6 km/2.3 miles southwest of St Andrews.

The designed landscape extends over a series of low morainic hills overlooking St Andrews and the coast. The topography inclines towards the north and is drained by the Claremont Burn, a tributary of the Kinness Burn. Craigtoun House surrounded by enclosed pleasure grounds is situated on a ridge, centrally within the park, commanding views to both the north and south. Some views have been lost due to recent tree growth. Principal retained vistas are along the Cypress Avenue and across the lake to the Island and its model village. Other significant views extend over relict parkland, beyond the golf-course to Tentsmuir Forest.

By the 1850s the designed landscape reached its greatest extent, over some 140ha. On the north it is bounded by the St Andrews road and to the south by the woodlands, Denhead and Bog Wood. The parkland was divided into a series of inner parks, separated from one another by tree belts, scattered tree groups, and enclosed by perimeter belts. The perimeter belts and woodlands enclosing the southern parks were 'picturesque' in style, their planted edges following a serpentine line (1st ed. OS 6'', 1855).

Despite the establishment of a golf course (the Duke's Course), the Country Park and some modern housing development, the extent of the designed landscape remains apparent and enforces a distinct landscape character on the surrounding area.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

Craigtoun Hospital, in early-Renaissance-style with some Scots Baronial features, is an asymmetrical composition in hammer-dressed pink sandstone with polished ashlar dressings. Designed by Paul Waterhouse (dated 1903 at its waterheads), its principal entrance front lies on the west side, where there is a dwarf-walled circular forecourt and turning circle with 3 panelled-pier and arched gateways with wrought-iron gates and ball finials, flanking the house. In 1902-03 Waterhouse relocated the 17th or early 18th century Sundial to occupy the centre of the forecourt. It has an octagonal shaft with assorted dials, a thistle, rose and fleur-de-lys carved in relief. In the 1950s a number of single-storey extensions were added, mainly on the south, garden front to form hospital accommodation. At the mansion's south-west corner, on first-floor level, is a conservatory.

The Formal Garden, to the south, comprises an Italian Garden designed by Waterhouse in 1910. It incorporates features from James Gillespie Graham's scheme for the earlier 1820s house; primarily a tall screen wall, topped by urns and eagles. The screen wall, enclosing a fountain, has three niches and Doric pilasters (coupled at the ends) with a full triglyph and circular frieze to the centre bay pediment. The wall steps down from the centre with scrolls and ball finials before meeting balustered low-level sidewalls. An Archway leads from lawns to the north entrance of the Cypress Avenue, and may also be from the Gillespie Graham scheme. The Cypress Avenue's North Entrance (also part of Gillespie Graham's scheme?), is formed by square-plan ashlar Gatepiers, set with urn finials and low flanking walls decorated with pairs of urns supported by lion's paws. Waterhouse marked the centre-point of the Cypress Avenue with an Italian Wellhead, circular in plan rising to an octagonal abacus, with Corinthian detailing. The ornamental metalwork dressing the wellhead, now fragmentary, is formed of delicate spirals and cones with an attachment for a bucket and wheel, now missing.

Waterhouse's Island Buildings and model village, set on the lakes to the south of the mansion, comprise a boathouse and summerhouse in a picturesque Franco-German style, approached over a humped 3-arched bridge leading up to a 2-storey gatehouse. The buildings are linked by a columned loggia and perimeter walls. All are white-harled with painted dressings and red tile and pantile roofs. Between the lakes there is a Grotto and a series of three Cascades formed of aggregates of locally sourced red sandstone, rounded pebbles and cement. There is the possibility that a Pulhamite cement was used, but to date there is no evidence of this (see Tourism Resources Company et al.)

Directly east of the mansion lie the ancillary estate buildings. The Walled Garden of 1826 was remodelled by Waterhouse in 1902. It is formed by rubble walls with flat copings on its north and east sides, the east wall being higher. The north wall is furnished with a greenhouse range on its inner face and single-storey brick heating chambers on the outer wall. On the east wall is an octagonal, domed Summerhouse added by Waterhouse that sits astride the walled garden. The elevation internal to the Walled Garden has 4 Ionic wooden columns with a steeply pitched red-tiled roof. The façade outwith the garden has 3 metal-framed leaded windows with an external canted bay. North of the garden is a Fruit Store, part of Waterhouse's scheme, now adapted to a toilet block. It is built in red brick with grey bricks as a base course, windows and Dutch Gable cope. An early 19th century Cottage at the Walled Garden is low, 2-storey, of droved ashlar with a polished belt at first floor level.

North of the garden is the early 19th century Home Farm Steading with a round horsemill, remodelled by Waterhouse, and converted to housing in 1985. North again lie the Former Stables (now called Mount Melville), also by Waterhouse c 1905, with a mix of Scots and French 16th century architectural features. The court comprises a single-storey and attic along three sides, all of hammer dressed rubble with polished ashlar dressings. A central arch is surmounted with a coat of arms, with flanking diagonal square turrets and a tall pavilion roof over the gate, surmounted with elaborate wrought-iron finials and a weathercock. In parkland north-east of the mansion is the Mount Melville Home Farm Doocot, an 18th century lean-to type, which has been altered to accommodate a byre, now ruinous.

The East Lodge dating to c.1820/40, is single-storey and built of ashlar with a central semi-octagonal Doric-columned porch. The West Lodge and Gates, known as Craigtoun Lodge, marking the West Drive entrance, is by Waterhouse. It is in a Baronial style, 2-storied in hammer-dressed pink sandstone with ashlar dressings and has a circular turret with a conical slated roof.

Drives and Approaches

The principal entrance to Craigtoun Park is from the West Lodge, which services the Duke's Course and Craigtoun Country Park. From the Craigtoun Lodge the drive crosses rising ground, lined with conifer plantations and Rhododendrons, before reaching car parks at the golf-course and further parking at the entrance to the Country Park. The east entrance now services a Caravan Park and Holiday centre.

During the 19th century, the principal entrance, from St Andrews led along the North Drive, through woodland at Ballone to emerge within the north park. On climbing the ridge the drive led eastwards through the pleasure grounds to reach the principal, west entrance. The entrance from the Cupar direction lay on the west, with the West Drive meeting the North Drive to form one principal approach (1855, OS 6").

Parkland

The condition of the park reflects its divided ownership. Grassland areas within the Country Park, principally the south park, are well maintained. The Duke's Course now comprises the west park with intensively managed turf. The north-west park is poorly drained and its parkland character is being lost through scrub regeneration. Parkland between Mount Melville (the Former Stables) and the Home Farm has been built over with housing.

The lakes, two artificial water-bodies, are linked by artificial channels, a grotto and three cascades. Their perimeters are lined with artificial stone, artificial rock outcrops and pockets for perimeter planting.

Woodland

Some areas of woodland are now commercial conifer plantation. Other areas survive as mixed broadleaved woodlands.

The Gardens

Waterhouse's Italian Garden is largely intact although several features have been lost, some new features have been added and the boundaries between Craigtoun House (in separate ownership) and the Country Park make for a disjointed layout. The basin of the central stone fountain has been infilled and planted and the waterspout has been removed. Statues from the screen wall recesses, stone balusters from the perimeter balustrades and stone benches which flanked the garden are now missing. Raised stone paved footpaths are subsiding.

The Cypress Avenue, designed by Waterhouse, is aligned with the centre of the south elevation of the house. It is punctuated by a series of incidents (for its North Entrance see above). Its south end was marked by a dressed stone triple-Arch, demolished in 1966. The base of the central Arch was furnished with a stone seat framed by Greek columns with a simple stone lintel topped with four urns. From the Arch a series of footpaths led to the Walled Garden and ponds. The Italianate Wellhead (see above), marking the Avenue's central point, is enclosed by a semi-circular, formal yew hedge.

The Rose Garden, north of the Cypress Avenue, is enclosed by yew hedges. Its central axis leads to the Temple Mount, a major feature of Waterhouse's scheme. It was set with a stone Temple in oriental style, demolished in 1966. Two flights of stone steps lined by a yew hedge led up to the Temple which was circular in plan with six sets of double Ionic columns supporting a balustraded parapet. A glazed viewing gallery topped by a bell-shaped cupola was set on top. An alternative route to it led up a spiral path around the mount, which was planted with fastigiate Cypress trees to frame the Temple. Shrub plantings of Portuguese laurel and flowering cherries covered the mount. A timber pergola linked Temple Mount and the Rose Garden, but only the mount and spiral path survive.

There are many mature specimen trees in the pleasure gardens around the house, including Wellingtonia.

Walled Garden

The earliest known layout shows the garden to have been quartered, the four rectangular geometric beds divided by tree-lined paths (1855, OS 6''). Waterhouse's 1902 remodelling, added a Summerhouse on the eastern boundary which terminates the garden's central axis, forming a focal feature. The Summerhouse was sited to command panoramic views external to the garden and eastwards across farmland to St Andrews and the coast. However, housing development now dominates this previously rural view. The greenhouses have been replaced and redeveloped a number of times, the existing glasshouse being of recent construction.

The internal layout of the garden has been radically altered since the 1950s. It is now grass with informal island beds and a raised grass terrace adjacent to the greenhouse. Cold-frames and a Melonry were originally sited adjacent to the Fruit Store. These have been replaced by raised beds over their foundations.