The one thing that is not lacking in the Scottish Borders is history. There is so much to see and do, and it is one of our favourite places to visit. In fact, we’ve written about many of its top sites including Abbotsford, Mellerstain House, Thirlestane Castle, and Melrose Abbey. This week, we return to the Borders and visit Manderston House. So, join us we visit a stately home that exemplifies Edwardian elegance!
As you approach Manderston House, it seems as though it has been standing for centuries. However, while there was a Georgian house that preceded it, Manderston was completely remodelled by Scottish architect, John Kinross, at the beginning of the 1900s during the Edwardian era. Kinross was hired by Sir James Miller who was a “nouveau riche baronet”. Notably, when Kinross asked him what his budget was, he was told “it simply doesn’t matter”. I can only imagine how happy that must have made him!
Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside the house. However, we have some postcards of the interior, and have taken photos of those along with pictures from the guidebook to share in this article. The good news is that the grounds were extensive and filled with beautiful architecture and history. So, stay tuned for plenty of photos of all that! First, we’ll take a wee tour of the house.
As soon as you enter the Main Hall of Manderston House, you realise that John Kinross took Sir Miller at his word regarding the fact that he had ‘no budget’. Clearly this area of the house was created to have an impact on visitors and displayed the wealth and status of the family. For example, the floor is of inlaid marble and the plasterwork in the dome was done by French and Italian stuccoists. It’s easy to see how Kinross was inspired by Robert Adam (who designed sections of Culzean Castle and Mellerstain House).
The Edwardian elegance continues in the Ballroom. Lord and Lady Miller held a ball in this room on the 7th of November 1905 to celebrate the completion of Manderston. The grand room is a fascinating mix of the styles of Louis XVI and Adam. The walls of the Ballroom are hung with silk embossed with velvet and the curtains are woven in gold and silver thread. The ceiling panel shows paintings of the sun god, Apollo, cupids, Venus (goddess of love), and cherubs.
One of the most unique designs in the house is the Silver Staircase. It is said that the cantilevered marble steps were inspired by Madame de Pompadour’s staircase at the Petit Trianon in Versailles. The balustrade is silver plated with a Vitruvian scroll motif and the rail is solid brass. I can only imagine how long it must take the team of volunteers who polish it a few times every year!
Another area of Manderston that illustrates what it was like during the Edwardian era is the basement kitchen. Manderston’s basement was the servants’ domain and has been almost entirely unchanged since the early 1900s.
As you walk into the kitchen, your eyes are drawn to a large island cooking range. It was made in Paris and would have been cutting edge in its day. It has four ovens of varying temperatures as well as a hot plate on the top. There is also an open fire for spit roasting and a bread oven. For those of you wondering where the flue is- they created an underfloor one that connected to the chimney in the boiler house at the opposite end of the house. I imagine it must have been quite a useful appliance during it is heyday.
While it has been nice to tour the house, let’s head outside as we have quite a bit of ground to cover- the formal and informal gardens cover 56 acres! Kinross designed the four formal garden terraces on the south side of the house in the Edwardian style.
As you walk through a magnificent gate, the grounds continue with both tennis and croquet lawns.
Let’s head a bit further afield and make our way down to the lake and boat house. It isn’t too far of a walk, and there is a nice path that takes you there.
To celebrate his engagement to Eveline Curzon, Sir Miller had Kinross design a boat house as a gift for his bride-to-be. Done to look like an Alpine chalet, it was Kinross’ first commission at Manderston. The area was quite picturesque when we visited in early spring as everything was starting to bloom.
Speaking of blooming, the gardeners at Manderston clearly had (and have) their work cut out for them with the numerous gardens. However, the quaint Head-Gardener’s House certainly provided a lovely place to live when not hard at work. It was done in the 17th century style, but was built in 1897. The House demonstrates that the head-gardener held a high position in the Estate hierarchy.
Next to the Head-Gardener’s House is the Marble Dairy. That’s right, I said marble. By far, this is the fanciest dairy I have ever seen. I suppose if you have to make butter, this would be a nice place to do it.
Here are more photos of the picturesque grounds:
We finish our tour of Manderston House at the stables. However, like the marble dairy, these stables are top of the line and some of the nicest in Scotland. Completed in 1895, the magnificent stables are a clear indication of how important horses have been for the families who have resided at Manderston.
If you are in the Scottish Borders, we highly recommend that you plan a visit to Manderston House. However, while you can hire them for private parties and weddings, they are only open select times of the year for tours to the public. The public open days are usually in early spring but be sure to check out their website for the most up-to-date information.
And, if you venture north to Scotland’s exquisite capital, be sure to book one of our Edinburgh walking tours!
Until next time- Explore & Discover!
