Redbraes Castle

Marchmont House lies on the east side of the small village of Greenlaw, and near to a church in Polwarth in Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It is about five miles (8 km) south west of Duns, about west of Berwick-upon-Tweed and about south east of Edinburgh. Situated in a gently undulating landscape, the estate is intersected by Blackadder Water, and its tributary burns. With the Lammermuir Hills to the north and views towards the Cheviot Hills in the south, this part of Berwickshire, sometimes referred to as the Merse, is very scenic and contains rich and fertile agricultural land.

History

The Palladian house was built by Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont, in 1750. His bust, albeit a plaster copy, sits on a wall bracket in the saloon. The original is in Mellerstain House, another important Borders house that has intimate historical links with Marchmont. Before its completion, the family lived in Redbraes Castle, the diminutive ruins of which can be seen in front of the present house by the steading. At Redbraes lived Sir Patrick Hume of Polwarth, later Patrick Hume, 1st Earl of Marchmont. His portrait by William Aikman, c 1720, and framed by a George II period gilt mirror, hangs above the chimneypiece in the drawing room. It is not a coincidence that a near identical portrait hangs in the Music Room at Mellerstain.

Having been implicated in the Rye House Plot, Sir Patrick was forced into hiding in the vaults of Polwarth Church, close to the house. His daughter, Lady Grisell Hume, (later Grizel Baillie) smuggled food to him, and her well-trod path from Redbraes to the church became known as ‘Lady’s Walk’. Lady Grisell's life was an epic story of selfless bravery, for which she eventually found reward in a long and happy life. She wrote her memoirs which were handed down to her daughter, who in turn transcribed them for future generations. In them, she tells of the fearful chapters she endured as a young teenager aiding her father and family. Sir Patrick fled to Holland in 1684, again assisted by his daughter, but made a glorious return with King William who reinstated their lands and created Sir Patrick the first Earl of Marchmont in 1697. He was later made Lord Chancellor, and then in 1698 he was elevated to "the highest official position in the kingdom, that of the King's High Commissioner to the Parliament"''Marchmont and the Humes of Polwarth, by One of Their Descendants'', 1894. The king's gratitude was symbolized by his granting Sir Patrick permission to place an orange, bearing the Imperial crown, in his coat of arms. An example of this can be seen clearly on the carved coat of arms on the east gable of Polwarth church restored by, and once a self-imposed prison of, Sir Patrick.

The house, its interior, and development

The family's prosperity in the late 17th century, brought about by the reward of loyalty to the Crown, made it possible for grand ideas of Marchmont House to be conceived. Thoughts of creating an impressive new family seat inspired Alexander, the second Earl, to draw up designs for the landscaping. He also commissioned William Adam to draw up plans for the new house, however these were considered to be too expensive. Both the 2nd Earl and Adam died before the house was started. It was the 3rd Earl, succeeding in 1740, who became responsible for the execution of the new building. It is now understood that it was the lesser known architect Thomas Gibson who designed the house and not Adam. However, the latter's influence was certainly present in the architecture as well as garden design, as was that of the Palladian revival of Lord Burlington, a friend of the Earl of Marchmont. It has been commented that Marchmont's internal arrangement and elevations reflect those at Houghton Hall, Norfolk.Cruft, Dunbar and Fawcett It is also of interest that the second Earl's sister, Lady Grisell, married a Baillie from Mellerstain, where we know that William Adam worked.

The interior is arguably one of the finest in Scotland. Only a trained eye, and one that knows of the architectural history, will notice a difference between the 18th and 20th-century features at Marchmont. Much of the original George II period plasterwork, executed by Thomas Clayton, remains. Clayton was the best plasterer in Scotland of his time and worked for William Adam and others. He worked at many other important houses, including the Drum in Edinburgh, the Duke's Apartments at Holyroodhouse, at Hamilton Palace

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases