Inveresk Lodge Garden

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Location and Setting

Inveresk Lodge Garden is situated within the picturesque village of Inveresk which lies on a ridge some 6 miles (9.5km) east of Edinburgh's city centre. The A6124 runs through the village and forms the northern boundary of the site. The garden slopes in a south-westerly direction towards a loop in the River Esk which forms the southern boundary of the garden. The town of Musselburgh on the shores of the Firth of Forth lies to the north of Inveresk. To the south beyond the River Esk lies Monktonhall Golf Course and, beyond, the sprawling industrial and suburban landscape of Midlothian. From within the garden, views can be gained on a clear day to Arthur's Seat in the west and the Pentland Hills in the south, due to the south-westerly aspect of the site. The north boundary wall of the garden prevents views into the garden from the village of Inveresk.

Inveresk Lodge is situated at the north-west corner of the garden which extends over some 13 acres (5.3ha) between the A6124 in the north and the River Esk to the south. Documentary evidence is confined to the 1st edition OS map of c.1850, a survey plan by James Hay of 1851, the 2nd edition OS map of c.1900 and a survey plan of the garden in 1982. Comparison of these plans shows the extent of the garden to have changed little since 1850.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

Inveresk Lodge is an L-plan, two-storey mansion built between 1683-1700 with subsequent additions. The category A listing for the house includes the garden walls lining Inveresk village road and Wedderburn Terrace. The Terraced Gardens are thought to have been built in the late 19th century. Buttresses were added to the lower terrace walls c.1960. The Summerhouse stands at the south-west corner of the terraced garden.

The Gate at the entrance to the garden is modern, the work of a local blacksmith. Various urns and troughs which stand in the courtyard and throughout the garden have been brought in since 1960 as has a sundial which stands in the garden which was gifted by Mrs Beveridge from Pitreavie Castle.

Woodland Garden

The woodland garden is situated along the south-eastern boundary of the garden amid a canopy of elm, oak and lime trees planted between 1870-1920. The garden also incorporates part of the former orchard of the house and some Rhododendron and Azaleas which were remnants of the pre-1960 planting.

The Gardens

The terraced gardens lie to the immediate east and south of the house. The gardens were designed with features which could be incorporated into any small garden. The entrance to the gardens is at the north-west corner. Next to this entrance, a glasshouse extends along the north boundary wall and houses many of the more tender garden plants, including Acacia armata and Plumbago capensis, and also the aviary. Along the front wall of the glasshouse, shrubs unusual to the Edinburgh area have been planted; among them Carpenteria californica. Beyond the glasshouse is a shrub rose border, designed by Graham Stuart Thomas which includes both old- fashioned and modern varieties edged with low-growing plants such as Stachys, Dianthus and lavenders.

A square lawn lies to the immediate east of the house, on which stands a mature yew, a remnant of the earlier landscape; the lawn is retained by a stone wall against which a variety of shrubs has been trained. From this terrace, steps lead down to a flagged path running approximately west-east along which four 'Hibernica' have been established. From this terrace, a bank of shrubs slopes down to a lawn which extends along the southern half of the garden and, at the east end, sweeps up to meet the shrub rose border on the north boundary. The grass is regularly interrupted by specimen trees and shrub borders which create or highlight smaller spaces. Vistas have been focused on the fine Pitreavie sundial which stands almost at the centre of the site.

From the east end of the terraced gardens, a footpath leads to the woodland garden and, from it, a path returns along the lower side of the main retaining wall where flowering shrubs have been planted between the buttresses. At the west end of the path is the present vegetable garden for the house.