Entrance archway, detail Digital image of D/12662

Description Entrance archway, detail Digital image of D/12662

Date 18/4/1997

Catalogue Number SC 759715

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 12662

Scope and Content Grotto, Newhailes, Musselburgh, East Lothian This shows the engraved worm-like patterned arched doorway of the shell grotto which was built in the 18th century and has been a ruin since vandals destroyed the shell interior in the late 1940s. The main entrance front was built with a mixture of sandstone rock-faced rubble and tufa (sponge-like limestone) blocks. The majority of the shells for the grotto at Newhailes probably came from abroad as William Dalrymple wrote a letter from Canton in 1774 to his sister Jenny stating that he would look for shells to finish the grotto. The shells were arranged in geometric patterns on the interior and were pierced with holes from which heat radiated from a stove stoked by a servant below the ground. James Smith (c.1645-1731) architect, designed and built Newhailes House (originally known as Whitehill) in 1686. Sir David Dalrymple (c.1665-1721) bought the estate in 1709 and started the construction of the library wing in 1718 which was completed after his death in 1721 by his son, Sir James Dalrymple (1692-1751). The house was modernised in 1871-3 when Lord Shand was tenant, and has remained largely unchanged since. The National Trust for Scotland became the owners of Newhailes House in January 1997. The house opened to the public on 1 June 2002 after a £12.7 million conservation project that ensured the house was stabilised without losing the patination of the interior decoration. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/759715

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap