Newhailes

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

Type of Site

A rare survival of an early/mid-18th century rocco landscape garden, developed in the formative period of the 'natural' style in Scotland.

Location and Setting

The Newhailes estate lies between the Edinburgh suburb of Joppa and to the west Musselburgh c1km from the Firth of Forth and within Edinburgh's designated Green Belt. The A1 lies to the south-west, with the A199 to the north and north-west. The Newhailes Road (A6095) forms the south-east boundary. The main East Coast railway skirts the south-west perimeter of the estate. The extent of the park and landscape gardens at Newhailes has survived to a relatively large extent, despite the modern housing developments which now surround it. Due to the topography much of the housing is set below the grounds of Newhailes; thus, views out of the estate retain an essentially rural aspect.

Newhailes House stands centrally within its designed landscape on a slightly elevated plateau above Musselburgh. Although enclosed on its south-west and south sides, it commands extensive views out to the north-east, over lawns and parkland, to the Firth of Forth.

North Berwick Law is a focal point in the views looking north-eastwards from the house. Another topographic feature intentionally exploited in the designed are views of Arthur's Seat from the landscape gardens to the north of the house, and from the terrace on its north. From the Terrace Walk in the park there are views northwards out to the Firth of Forth and southwards to the Moorfoot Hills.

Roy's Survey (1747-55) gives the first indication of the layout of a designed landscape at Newhailes. The design is still unrecognisable, with the house flanked by two axial woodland blocks and a roughly oval-shaped park to the north-east of the house, enclosed by perimeter woodland corresponding to the modern area of the Sheep Park. The Sheep Park is shown divided from the area now called the Cow Park by the Terrace Walk.

By 1798 Newhailes Park had been extended north to include the Bog Park and Magdalen Park (the latter enclosed from common land), and also to the south-west of the house, to include an area to the south of the Newhailes Road. This was associated with a diversion of the public road in order to construct new stables, offices and an entrance to the south of the house. The park had reached its greatest extent by 1840 (Buchanan, 1840). Subsequent railway construction in the 19th century, and late 20th century road and roundabout improvements just outside the main entrance to Newhailes, have resulted in the loss of these southern parks.

The late 19th century saw major changes when housing development was built on the North Park, and an area in the east of the Sheep Park was used as a sand quarry. In the late 20th century a light industrial estate was built on Bog Park. None of these developments detract from the long-distance landscape views seen from the house, nor have they affected the core of the early 18th century designed landscape.

Landscape Components

Architectural Features

Newhailes House was built in 1686. In 1714, it was extended to the south-east with the library; and later to the south-west, with the winter drawing-room. The Forecourt was constructed in 1721, when the entrance front was moved from the north to the south. It appears sunken because of the two earthen embankments which surround it to the south-east and the north-west. The latter embankment is cut through by a Service Entrance, a roofed passageway. The Stable Yard, designed by James Craig, was built in 1790 and incorporates an older farmhouse to the rear. A stone wall, built at various periods, encloses the policies.

The pleasure grounds extend along the Newhailes Burn to the north-west of the house and on the park-side are delimited by a ha-ha, with a heavily silted and scrubbed over ditch. The Shell Grotto (c1792) walls are sandstone with rubble and tufa facing. The interior was once lined with sea shells mounted on timber panels with a complicated system of hidden wall-flues and airholes pierced in the shells to allow hot air to penetrate the chamber. The Tea House, now ruinous, lies downstream from the Shell Grotto, close to the perimeter wall. There would have been views from here upstream. There is little documentary evidence for the date of its construction although the entrance has a Smith-style lugged architrave of late 17th century/early 18th century type (moved from its original position?). The Earl of Stair Monument, built in 1746, is an Obelisk 7.5m-9m high (25-30 ft). The early 18th century, brick-walled, semi-circular Flower Garden lies to the north-west of the house, the walls alone survive. A Fruit Store originally lay on an axis (now overgrown) with a long formal Canal (filled in 1960s). An extensive iron framework in front of the fruit store supports the branches of an old yew tree. In the bank behind lies the Icehouse.

Within the park a Terrace Walk, a raised walkway 5m (16.5 ft) wide on a battered-brick, terrace, retaining wall running 281m (922 ft) south-west to north-east divides the large central Sheep Park from the Cow Park (also known as Brick Kiln Park). It was entered through a Gateway, the remains of which consist of two Doric pillars, surviving to a height of 1.54m, attached to piers.

The Kitchen Garden, now a commercially run nursery, incorporates part of the stone-built policy wall which has been heightened twice using brick, probably in the mid 18th century and later. Nineteenth century glasshouses survive on the south wall. There is a further walled area to the north . The Doocot is rubble-built lectern type, no roofless. The Gardener's Cottage is early to mid 19th century and had diamond-paned windows and later extensions.

The Entrance Lodge and Gateway on the Newhailes Road comprise low, semi-circular walls with decorative wrought-ironwork and stone piers. The arches flanking the central wrought-iron gateway have hand-gates; the early to mid-19th century rustic lodge has lattice windows. The stone-built East Lodge is situated on the corner of the Newhailes Road and the A199.

Drives and Approaches

Initially, the main approach was from the north, corresponding with the entrance front of James Smith's house. Sir James Dalrymple moved the entrance front to the south, building the forecourt in 1721 which was accessed directly off the road leading from Wanton Walls to the Edinburgh-Musselburgh road. This was subsequently altered when the new stable block and offices were built across the northern part of the road, which was re-routed further to the south (1798, Bauchop annotation of 1824). Thereafter, the principal approach leading into the forecourt was shortened to its present length.

Parkland

Newhailes House is the focus of the landscape composition, with the principal, long distance views being from the north, and it is only here that the house can be appreciated in its landscape setting. The parkland has retained its basic configuration, although the surviving planting is in poor condition. The Terrace Walk, crossing the park between Sheep Park and Cow Park, is important in maintaining the symmetry of the landscape design, which relies on a strict central axis running north-east to south-west and centred on the house.

The perimeter parkland belts within are all set within an inner brick wall (the lower courses only survive). Tree clumps existed in the parkland to the south of the house by 1840, but most of these have been lost (Buchanan, 1840).

The Gardens

A lawn on the north front of the house projects out into the parkland and is separated from it by a low, drystone ha-ha with flat capping stones. A line of trees extended out from the two woodland groves flanking the house, along the edge of this promontory lawn (Bauchop, 1798; Buchanan 1840). The outer, parkland, edge of the woodland groves were linked in turn with the promontory lawn by a terrace walk, lined with trees. Some mature sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) appear to be early 18th century in date and survive from these plantings. Two stone plinths, bases for the lead sphinxes, still stand in the parkland against the ha-ha to each side of the central axis.

Woodland groves flank each side of the house and are bounded by distinct earthwork embankments running parallel with and to the house on its north-west and south-east sides. The embankments, supporting terrace walks, delineate the lawn and terrace in front of the house from the woodland groves.

The landscape garden extends north-west of the house, along the banks of the Newhailes Burn which was set with a series of three formal ponds and a canal. The remains of small rustic bridges span the water above small weirs or cascades. Although now overgrown, the circuit walks led to a series of buildings, monuments and features, completed by the late 18th century, which included the rocco Shell Grotto, and the classical Tea House sited to be viewed along a canalised section of the Newhailes Burn (Bauchop, 1798). The remnants of some formal , early/mid-18th century planting, common lime (Tilia x europaea) and yew (Taxus baccata) survive along the banks of the burn and pools. The landscape garden was further extended by pleasure grounds laid out by Christian Dalrymple in the 1820s to 1836, which lay within the perimeter policy woodlands enclosing the Sheep Park and Cow Park. A series of serpentine paths lead led through these perimeter belts, with views cut through across the parkland, and with a series of ornamental features; a grotto to the north-east of the house; a bower and a spiral walk leading up a mount set within the belt dividing Bog Park from Sheep Park, none of which have survived (Buchanan 1840).

To the south-east of the house the woodland grove retains some of its formal, geometric planting including holm oaks (Quercus ilex), yew (Taxus baccata), sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and an avenue of common lime (Tilia x europeaea}). The grove was set with a compartment, now known as the bowling green, on an axis with the library windows. This area survives as a damp clearing in the woodland, with some remnants of formal planting comprising holm oak (Quercus ilex).

It is notable that the estate is totally lacking in North American or Asiatic conifers and the Rhododendrons so commonly planted during the late 19th century.

The early 18th century, brick-walled, semi-circular Flower Garden with L-shaped extension lies to the north-west of the house. The garden once contained a conservatory, the foundations of which remain. What may be window recesses in the walls appear to have been infilled; their purpose is unknown, although a similar feature survives at Mavisbank.

Hay's design (1818) appears to have been implemented as indicated by a layout of flower-beds on later plans (Buchanan, 1840; 1883 Estate plan). Photographs and paintings dating from the early 20th century until quite recently, show the box-edged rose beds that may relate to the earlier layout.