Interior. View of landing hall from W, first floor.

Description Interior. View of landing hall from W, first floor.

Date 5/1995

Catalogue Number C 54045 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 772388

Scope and Content First-floor landing hall from west, Newbattle Abbey House, Midlothian This open landing area features a central stone archway and a number of arched wooden doorways which lead to other rooms. The lower parts of the hall are panelled, and the ceiling is coffered (divided up into panels). The area is furnished with a pair of large mahogany 'centre tables' resting on Oriental rugs, a four-sided bench, marble-topped sideboards, and low upholstered benches. A collection of oil paintings hangs round the walls from the picture rail, lit by the skylights above. Landings are placed at the top of a flight of stairs, or where a flight changes direction. They serve a similar purpose to a hall on the ground floor, acting as an area to rest, wait, or simply pass through on the way to another part of the house. At Newbattle the area was also used to display a fine collection of paintings. Newbattle Abbey was founded by Cistercian monks in 1140, and its church dedicated to St Mary in 1233-4. It became a private residence in 1587 when the last abbot, Mark Kerr, converted to Protestantism and was able to retain his lands. His son became Lord Newbattle in 1596. The remains of the abbey are built into the surviving house, which was modified and rebuilt by the architects John Mylne (1650), William Burn (1836) and David Bryce (1858). The house was gifted to the nation in 1937 to be used as a further education college. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Medium Colour negative

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