Methven Castle

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

Location and Setting

Methven Estate lies approximately 6.5 miles (10.5km) west of Perth and just over 1 mile (2km) east of Methven village. It is bounded to the south by the main A85 to Perth, and to the north and east by the steep valley of the River Almond. The Castle is perched on a ridge at about 300' (90m) facing south across a broad strath in which a tributary of the River Almond, the Pow Water, flows to join it at Lochty. The Castle has extensive views southwards to the Ochil Hills, eastward to the Fife Lomond Hills and westwards to Ben Vorlich. The Castle forms an impressive feature in the landscape especially when approached from the south, and the policy woodlands are also important to the views from the main A85.

The Castle is set on a high defensive position and the designed landscape was laid out around it in the early 19th century. The designed landscape extends from the main A85 northwards to Methven Wood and from Methven Loch in the east to Methven village in the west. A long east drive from the village at Almondbank passed through the old wood on its way up to the castle and many rides were laid out through the woods. The extent of the designed landscape has remained similar to that shown on the 1st edition OS map of 1860. There are 1,015 acres (411ha) in the designed landscape today, including a five acre walled garden.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

The square four-storeyed tower with its distinctive circular end turrets was built in 1664 by John Mylne and is listed A. Additions were made on its west side and, in the early 19th century, Gillespie Graham added a two-storey extension on the east side. The house was originally harled but the harling was removed in the 19th century, exposing the stonework to some damage. The wings have had to be demolished in recent years and the Castle is currently being restored and reharled. The 1820 Gothic-style Lodge is probably by Gillespie Graham and is listed B. There is a large walled garden formerly divided into several compartments. There is an Ice House to the west of the Castle, and the Home Farm lies to the east.

Parkland

The 1st edition OS map of c.1860 shows parks laid out to the north-west of the Castle as well as to its south front. Shelterbelts enclosed the parklands and many individual trees are shown planted in the parks with a few clumps in the North Park. The Pepperwell Oak is marked in the south-west corner of the park, south of the walled garden. In 1840 it measured 17' at 3'6" above the ground, a 3' increase since 1796. In 1883 it measured 19.5' at 5' from the ground and 82' high; it was recorded then as being over 400 years old. The most recent measurements were made by Alan Mitchell in 1985 when, although only 75' tall, it measured 22'10" at 5' from the ground. The Gardeners' Magazine of c.1842 recorded that 'the Drive from the east may be a mile or more in length and is allowed to be one of the handsomest in Scotland; it passes a beautiful small lake and through part of the old wood'. This old drive is no longer in use and part of the middle of the estate is currently being worked for mineral extraction. New individual parkland trees of mixed deciduous species have been added to both the north and south parks and protected by fences from grazing animals. A large pond with an island was excavated to the south of the Castle by Mr Hayter who owned the Castle after World War II and it now forms a feature in the view from the Castle.

Woodland

Methven Wood has existed for many hundreds of years and has been managed by coppicing through most of that period. A coppiced beech is known as the Wallace Beech and tradition holds that it is over 600 years old. There is a mix of deciduous trees in the woods with oak predominating and also beech, ash, alder and hazel. The surviving section of the ancient wood with its associated ground flora is designated as an SSSI. Most of the estate plantations were originally laid out from 1772-1800 and planted with beech, larch, oak and Scots fir. The larger woodland blocks have since been planted with conifers and are managed on a commercial basis.

Walled Garden

The large unusual-shaped walled gardens are divided into two sections by a wall and subdivided into several further compartments. The north wall was built as a heated wall in 1796 and the glasshouses were not added until after 1847. The eastern section appears to have been used as an orchard and the western section as a vegetable and flower garden. The whole area enclosed is some seven acres and is today used as a commercial nursery.

Arboretum

Methven is recorded as having one of the earliest pinetums in Scotland. Exotic conifers were first planted here by Lord Methven and he was succeeded by his son William Smythe who increased the variety of species planted. In 1868 an avenue of Cedrus deodara was planted from seed brought over to Scotland from India by the Dowager Lady Elgin while Lord Elgin was Viceroy. The Gardeners' Chronicle of 1883 noted a 200 year old holly and a 100 year old Cedar of Lebanon. In 1955 Alan Mitchell recorded 37 interesting trees in this area, most of which were felled before 1960; they included eleven large Sequoias and five large Abies alba. In 1985 Alan Mitchell measured ten trees including the Pepperwell Oak. The shrubbery extends now from the west of the Castle westwards to the walled garden and there are also a few specimen trees to the east of the house including the weeping ash. Old photographs of c.1870 show the shrubbery extending right up to the south front of the Castle. Later photographs of c.1875 show the steep bank of the Castle cleared and laid out with a row of young conifers, possibly the Deodar Avenue. This bank is now cleared and under grass but the path extends to the west lined with yew, holly and Rhododendron. The large stumps of old trees remain and the shrubbery is carpeted with daffodils in season. To the east of the Castle and to the east of the now demolished east wing was a formal garden laid out c.1875 by the Smythes and shown in early photographs as having paved areas with ornamental urns and square flowerbeds laid out amid lawns. This garden did not survive for long and disappeared in the early 20th century.