Introduction
Kelton House was formerly a landscaped estate now in fragmented private ownership of private gardens and farmland.
Dates | Owner | Tenant | House Known As | Notes | Information From |
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Pre 1818 | William Taylor (of Jamaica) |
| Kelton Mains | Not known if ever lived there | Sasines |
1815-circa1827 | William Walker |
| Kelton Mains | Had been in Jamaica but recorded as residing in Kelton Mains some of the time, later living at Crawfordtown. | Sasines |
1827-1859 | John Walker (wife Elizabeth Stott) |
| Kelton Mains | Lives in Kelton for only a short period, later living at Crawfordtown | Sasines |
1841 | John Walker | George Lennock 66 age years, daughter age 7 years | Kelton Mains, richest house in area | Captain in R N. farm and house servants, governess, gardener kept | 1841 census returns, not mentioned in Sasines assume Walker owner |
1851-1852 | John Walker | David Whigham, CountyCollector & Writer to the Signet, from Sanquher | Kelton Mains | 3 servants, 1852 went bankrupt | 1851 census returns, not mentioned in Sasines assume Walker owner |
1857-1860 | Ivie Walker/Mackie possibly wife/sister/daughter |
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| Not clear lived in house, selling land to Whitacker. | Sasines |
1862-1867 | John Whitacker/Whittacker |
| Kelton Mains, Manor house and grounds | Living in house | Valuation Rolls Sasines |
1867-1875 | Major Joseph Fletcher, Major in Cumberland Volunteers, made money in Parkside Mining Company, JP for Cumberland (1867 12/6 3c), |
| First to use term Kelton House, described in oblitary (Whitehaven News) as a beautiful mansion. | First to use term Kelton House. Dies 1 August 1874 aged 55 years, buried in Whitehaven Cumberland (family home), (1874 5/8,5f) (1874 12/8,3d). Rented Conheath House before buying Kelton and Kelton presumed empty 1867-8 (one year). No payment first year, possibly because of- rebuilding? Moves from Conheath in 1868. | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser |
1875/6- 1909 | Trustees of Major John Fletcher | Mrs Marion Fletcher, widow & prorietrix, wife by 2nd marriage, sister of first wife |
| Children of first marriage living at home (1879 9/7,5f) (1880 20/10,5f) (1880 11/12,4g). Children of first marriage contest right of Marion Fletcher to live in House and will. (1887 25/5,6f) (1887 23/7,4d) (1888 21/3,6e) and again in (1897 30/10,4d). | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser |
1908- 1909 | Trustees of Major John Fletcher |
| 1909 sales brochure refers to it as Kelton House | Empty. May 1909 house put up for sale (1909 12/5,5d) | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser |
1911-1912 | Trustees of Major John Fletcher | Lady Isabella Woodburn |
| Widow of Sir John Woodburn, Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. Lady Woodburn died Jan 1912 (1912 20/1,5f) | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser |
1912-1913 | Trustees of Major John Fletcher | Lady Isabella Woodburn |
| Sub-let to Thomas Rigby, manager of peat works | Valuation Rolls |
1913-1920 | Trustees of Major John Fletcher |
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| Empty. Auctioned November 1919 could not be sold as whole or in lots for £11,500 (1919 15/11,7c). Surveyed and valued 1919, needed considerable upgrading. January 1920 sold by treaty to James Dickie (1920 7/1,4e) | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser |
1920-59 | James Dickie |
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| From Maxwelltown. Breeding champion horses Ayr (1925 8/8,7b). December 1920 buys adjoining farm of Troghoughton more than doubles size of estate. | Valuation Rolls, Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser, Sasines |
1959-1965 | Kenneth Dickie & wife Jessie |
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| Son of above. Approximately 1962-1963 contents of house sold by auction | Valuation Rolls, oral evidence Mr Wolffe |
1966 | Kenneth Dickie |
| No Kelton Mains | House blown up | .Dumfries & Galloway Standard & Advertiser 23-02-66 |
1966-1973 | Kenneth Dickie |
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| Owning Kelton Lodge, but staying in Clarmont Hotel, Newall Terrace, Dumfries | Valuation Rolls |
1973-1974 | Kenneth Dickie |
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| Kelton Lodge under reconstruction staying in Kelton Bank, another house that he owns. | Valuation Rolls |
1974-1975 | Kenneth Dickie |
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| Kelton house declared residence, Kelton Lodge has vanished | Valuation Rolls |
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Date | Area | Topic | Notes | Reference |
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1909 | House and estate put up for sale | Overview | Comprising Mansion house, extensive policies, lodge, office houses, gasworks, six cottage & several fields of very superior arable meadow & pasture land. The total 160 acres annual value £530 annual burdens £68. | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| The Mansion house is finely situated, massive and attractive, apparently well situated. In fact a considerable overhaul is required to put the place in good tenantable order and in round figures might be put down at £380. If that were done an annual rent of £380 might be obtained. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
1874 | Obituary | House | A beautiful mansion | D&GS (1874 12/8,3d) |
1909 | house and estate put up for sale |
| The house overlooks the River Nith & commands superb views of Criffel and the Solway Firth, is most substantially built. It contains vestibule, outer and inner halls, six public rooms, 14 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchens, servants’ hall, service room, strong room, extensive laundry & cellarage, & the usual accommodation. | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| Several rooms of fine dimensions and conveniently arranged. Unfortunately in several the rooms the plaster is badly cracked and the roof having been leaking in many places has caused a considerable amount of damage to the ceilings. Moreover dry rot exists in the woodwork of one of the passages and also in the lining of a kitchen cupboard and in the ceiling of the washhouse under the front entrance hall. The house requires papering and painting throughout and the external woodwork is also much in need of paint. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
1850 | Oral evidence Andy Nicholson | Garden | Garden parkland appears to be incorporating some of the enclosed field boundary trees. Roy map compared with later material. | 1755 Roy Map |
1907 | Map |
| Green house visible and tool store in NW corner | 1907 Ordnance Survey third edition 25inch map |
1909 | house and estate put up for sale |
| The garden (one acre) contains conservatory, vinery and fruit house. | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| The greenhouse and vinery will require a very extensive repair and some of the woodwork of the fruit houses showing signs of decay. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
1957 | Air photograph RAF |
| Parkland now a big field, no trees or ordered planting. Walled garden some orchard, rest planted. Signs of earlier informal footpath across terrace nr house. | See air photograph provided |
1909 | house and estate put up for sale | Amenities | There is a stretch of good salmon fishing in the Nith and a variety of shooting can be had in the neighbourhood | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| Salmon fishings rented to Robert Turner. Fishings yearly rent £ 15 12s 4d and taking into consideration the record of the fishings in the Rivers Nith and Annan in recent years, it is doubtful if much of an increase of rent will be obtained. Shootings - these are of no great account and valuation of 6d an acre would be quite ample. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
1909 | house and estate put up for sale | Offices | The Office houses are commodious and convenient, and comprise stabling (six stalls & three stalls) two loose boxes, double coach house and harness room, cowhouse five5 stalls), hay loft, granary, coachman’s house etc. The mansion house and stables are lit by gas manufactured on the estate and there is a gravitational supply of excellent water from the public main. There is a stretch of good salmon fishing in the Nith and a variety of shooting can be had in the neighbourhood | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| The offices are very commodious but there is no proper garage accommodation which is really a necessity nowadays. The walls of the stable and co are somewhat decayed and the whole of the outside requires painting. The policies are well laid out and contain some fine timber, but unfortunately are not extensive compared with the size and style of the house. Some of the woodwork in the entrance is also decayed. Six houses one subdivided into two. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
1909 | house and estate put up for sale | Land | The agricultural lands and fishings are let in lease until 1911. Immediate entry can be had to the mansion house, policies and about 25 acres of land. | D&GS (1909 12/5,5d) |
1914 | Report & Valuation |
| There is no farm or steading and should the land be farmed entirely by itself, some rearrangement of the field would be necessary. At present rented to tenant James Hewat of High Kelton land being well farmed. Some repairs to dry stone dykes and fencing needed. | Dumfries Archives GTGD57 26 |
3. HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATIONS & PICTORIAL SOURCES
- Visitor Access, Directions & Contacts
Directions
Kelton is situated on the B725 approximately 5 kilometres south of Dumfries.
- History
The earliest date of any house at Kelton House/Mains is unclear, the ‘Kelton' depicted on Timothy Pont's map of Nithsdale, surveyed and compiled in the late-16th century, and later maps by Gordon and Blaeu probably referring to Kelton or Kelton Estate some two miles further south.
On William Roy's Military Survey of around 1755 an enclosure pattern of fields is clearly shown between Kelton and Netherwood to the north, but with no major building at Kelton Mains/House. The broad framework of the enclosure pattern appears to have survived to the present day.
The first record of Kelton Mains is in the Sasines of the early-19th century with ownership of the estate passing from William Taylor to William Walker. The estate appears to have remained in the ownership of the Walker family until 1860. In the earlier part of the century the family is also recorded as living at Crawfordtown and by the time of the 1841 and 1851 censuses Kelton Mains has been let to a series of tenants. At this time the property was referred to as ‘the richest house in the area' and the tenants included a Royal Naval Captain and a lawyer. The First Edition Ordnance Survey of 1856 records a principal house, Kelton Mains, with lodge, walled garden, parkland and associated planting, all fairly typical of a modest country gentleman's seat.
In the Sasines of 1857-1860, John Whitacker is recorded as acquiring land at Kelton Mains from Ivie Walker/Mackie but by 1862, Kelton Mains, Manor House and grounds have passed into the ownership of Major Joseph Fletcher of Whitehaven, Cumberland who moved from Conheath which he had previously rented. Major Fletcher changed the name to Kelton House, owning the property until his death in 1874 when Kelton was described as ‘a beautiful mansion'. Following his death, Kelton House remained in the hands of Major Fletcher's trustees until 1920.
The house was first occupied by his widow, and tenanted until 1913, after which it lay empty until 1919. An attempt was made to sell the house in 1909 comprising Mansion House, extensive policies, lodge, office houses, gasworks, six cottages and several fields of very superior arable meadow and pasture land. The auction brochure states that 123 out of 160 acres of the estate were rented for farming. The grounds of the house appear to have been designed for leisure pursuits such as shooting and fishing, and also tennis, croquet and bowling.
Ornamental gardens appear to have been a less important feature. With the exception of some modification in the walled garden area, the landscape recorded on the second and subsequent editions of the Ordnance Survey show very little change over this period, although the property was described as needing considerable upgrading at the time of its valuation in 1919.
From 1920 to 1975 the estate was owned by the Dickie family, who in 1920 also bought the adjacent Troghougton Farm, more than doubling the size of the estate. An aerial photograph dated 1957 records a simplified landscape, with the parkland a large field containing no trees or ordered planting. Between 1962 and 63 the contents of the house were sold off by auction and Kelton House demolished in 1966. In 1974 a new Kelton House was constructed adjacent to the site of the old one.
Today the former lodge survives as a private dwelling, Kelton Shaw, and further dwellings have been constructed in the walled garden (Kelton Gardens) and the former wooded field. The balance of the land is farmland.
- Features & Designations
Features
- Glasshouse
- Description: A fine restored Victorian glasshouse, with evidence of original heating pipes and probably the system for opening the windows, all now carefully maintained. The original raised bed with heating pipes in the soil below remain and also the supports for shelving. The Glasshouse built on south-east facing brick wall to maximise heat retaining potential. There is a natural water supply within the glasshouse. The size of the glasshouse has been reduced as part of it was a ruin, but original layout is obvious.
- Key Information
Type
Estate
Survival
Part: standing remains
Hectares
64.7
Electoral Ward
Caerlaverock