Luffness

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

Location and Setting

Luffness is situated where the estuary of the Peffer Burn joins Aberlady Bay, 0.75 miles (1km) from Aberlady village. The A198 forms the northern boundary of the policies while the A6137 runs west of the estate from Aberlady; minor roads skirt the south and east of the parks. The topography near the coast here is flat and views out from Luffness are limited by the policy woodlands although views of Aberlady Bay can be obtained from points along the north side of the estate. The policy woodlands are significant in the views from the surrounding area, particularly from the north-east, and the main gateway onto the A198 is a distinctive feature along the route.

Roy's plan of c.1750 shows a smaller area of enclosed land surrounding the house, with a drive extending from the east of the house southwards to Aberlady village. By the 1st edition OS map of 1855 the parkland is shown extending westwards to the village and clumps of trees had been added within the parks. The extent of the designed landscape has retracted to its former boundary on the west side. The house is set to the north of the site and was once surrounded by a moat fed from the Peffer Burn. There are 177 acres (72ha) within the designed landscape today.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

Luffness House, listed A, is based on a 16th century tower house of three storeys, with many 19th century additions. The Doocot is late 16th century, beehive-style, with three tiers and a top lantern; it is statutorily listed. The Pend is probably an old watergate which has Gothic detailing by William Burn and has a concealed servants' entrance. The Walled Garden was built in 1822 and has an enclosed second diamond-shaped wall. The Water Tower is listed C and was possibly designed by Thomas Brown; until the 1968 gales it had an arcaded Italian-style upper storey and it was used to pump water up to the house. The Carmelite Monastery, founded in c.1250, is a scheduled ancient monument and contains an arched tomb with effigy of a knight. Tradition holds that the area of land at Luffness was granted to the monks by the Earl of Dunbar. An older wall near the monastery is gated with a yett. There is a game larder within the former moat to the west of the house. In the south court of the house there is an old well and near to it a wall-mounted sundial, featuring a sculptured soldier's head. A second sundial dated 1759 is the centrepiece of the rose garden.

Paths and Walks

The walk through the southern boundary of the woodland around the house, west of the remains of the Carmelite Monastery and around the edge of the park, is known as Monk's Walk or in recent times 'The Postman's Path'. There are some old yews in the woods around the monastery and some elm dating from c.1800. The wall affords a view of the water tower in the south park.

Parkland

Although the parkland was ploughed up during World War II and remains in arable use today, the roundel plantings and shelterbelts have been retained, maintaining the parkland character of the landscape. The grounds contain some fine trees including horse chestnut, sycamore, lime, with beech and copper beech and sequoias on the lawn to the east of the house. There used to be a bay laurel maze in this area near to the doocot but it has been removed since World War II. The parkland roundels are planted with deciduous and coniferous trees planted mainly around 1900. There are now some gaps in the roundel plantings where Dutch Elm disease has taken its toll. The parks were originally used for keeping horses and hunters and a ha-ha divides the south park from the woodland walk to the north.

Woodland

There is a mix of species within the policy woodlands also and this includes elm, beech, sycamore, horse chestnut, lime and yew with an understorey of Rhododendrons in places. There are some specimen trees dotted through the woods around the house, including cedar and walnut, particularly near the former bowling green. There are also younger coniferous shelter plantings in belts around the house, mainly of mixed larch and spruce. A small pinetum was planted in recent years near the walled garden and contains over ten varieties of pine and spruce.

The Gardens

The formal garden was more extensive up until World War I. It extended into the moat and contained herbaceous borders. Part of the moat was filled in to extend the garden for Lady Frances Hope who had married Sir Alexander's son, John, who died on their honeymoon in Italy. His brother had the garden extended for her use and it was laid out as a formal garden. An elaborate sunken parterre remains today shaped in a wheel of radiating beds enclosed by lawn. The beds were formerly laid out with bedding plants but are now planted with roses. There are clipped yews on the lawns around this Italian Garden.

Walled Garden

The walled garden is an unusual and beautifully kept feature. The double walls enable a large range of fruit to be grown out of doors and there is no glass within the walled garden. The outer walls are square-shaped and topped with red pantiles and there is a diamond-shaped inner enclosure with its long axis running west to east. It was built by French prisoners of war and is reputed to be the only jardin clos in Britain. Sir Alexander recorded the plants grown in it and his planting book may still be at Luffness. The first apricots to be grown in Scotland ripened in the Luffness garden, and nectarines, figs, apples, pears, peaches and greengages all ripen outdoors. The spaces between the walls are planted up with fruit, herbs and vegetables bordered by box hedges, with self-seeded Primulas enjoying the sheltered garden where they have found spaces for themselves. There are also beehives in one compartment under the fruit trees.

To the north of the walled garden is the area known as the old orchard which has a south-facing greenhouse containing vines and a few older orchard trees. The pinetum was planted in this area but the Sitka spruce nurse has become overgrown and needs thinning.

A kitchen garden and nursery area lie to the west of the parks at Aberlady and have been managed as a market garden by a former gardener since the 1950s.