The Hirsel is a Category A Listed stately home near

Coldstream Coldstream ( gd, An Sruthan Fuar , sco, Caustrim) is a town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. A former burgh, Coldstream is the home of the Coldstream Guards, a regiment in the British Army. Description Coldstream l ...

Berwickshire Berwickshire ( gd, Siorrachd Bhearaig) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area in south-eastern Scotland, on the English border. Berwickshire County Council existed from 1890 until 1975, when the area became part of t ...

in the Scottish Borders council area. It has been a seat of the

Earls of Home Earl of Home ( ) is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1605 for Alexander Home of that Ilk, 6th Lord Home. The Earl of Home holds, among others, the subsidiary titles of Lord Home (created 1473), and Lord Dunglass (1605), in ...

since 1611, and the principal seat following the destruction of

Hume Castle ' , partof = , location = Hume, Berwickshire, Scotland , image = Hume Castle - geograph.org.uk - 812984.jpg , image_size = , caption = , map_type = Scotland Scottish Borders , map_size = , map_alt = , map_caption = Shown within Scotland Scot ...

during the mid-17th century. It was the home of the former

British prime minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...

Sir Alec Douglas-Home Alexander Frederick Douglas-Home, Baron Home of the Hirsel (; 2 July 1903 – 9 October 1995), styled as Lord Dunglass between 1918 and 1951 and being The 14th Earl of Home from 1951 till 1963, was a British Conservative politician who se ...

, the 14th Earl of Home.

Architecture

A large mellow Georgian house of grey stone, most of which dates from the early 18th century, with an earlier portion dating from the early 17th century. Victorian alterations and additions were carried out by

William Burn William Burn (20 December 1789 – 15 February 1870) was a Scottish architect. He received major commissions from the age of 20 until his death at 81. He built in many styles and was a pioneer of the Scottish Baronial Revival,often referred ...

in 1851.

David Bryce David Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David Bryce (1763–1816) a grocer with a successful side interest in buildi ...

, George Henderson, and James Campbell Walker are also known to have worked here. Most of the Victorian additions were demolished during the mid 20th century. The interior contains a fine stone staircase in the centre portion. The Hirsel, east front

Garden and park

The house is set within an outstanding designated English garden style late 18th to 19th century designed landscape which spans the valley of Leet Water. The landscape comprises informal parkland, woodland, and a large artificial lake ( Hirsel Lake), and a late 19th century rhododendron and azalea

woodland garden A woodland garden is a garden or section of a garden that includes large trees and is laid out so as to appear as more or less natural woodland, though it is often actually an artificial creation. Typically it includes plantings of flowering shru ...

, Dundock Wood. The walled garden dates from the mid 18th century. In addition to forming an attractive setting for the category-A listed house, the grounds contain nationally important archaeological remains, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and two notable heritage trees.

Visitor access

The Homestead Craft Centre and Museum of Country Life, the Tea Room and Craft Workshops are all located within the grounds. The 'Homestead Walk' and the 'Hirsel Walk' are open to the public 365 days of the year.

References

External links

Douglas & Angus Estates website
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