Field Visit

Date 9 April 1920

Event ID 1088024

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1088024

RCAHMS County Inventory: East Lothian

A very complete example of a small 17th century Scottish mansion is to be found in Fountainhall (fig. 127), which occupies a sheltered and retired position rather more than a mile to the southwest of Wester Pencaitland. It is still inhabited and is in an unusual state of preservation, for it retains internally much of the original 17th century woodwork and rather later furniture, while externally only such work as was necessary for conservation has been carried out since completion. The building sits close to the ground and comprises a long central block, with main axis lying north-east and south-west, two storeys and an attic in height; at either end a wing projects southwards, the eastern being the longer, narrower and lower. The wing on the west is three storeys arid an attic in height and with the western 21 feet of the central block comprises the earliest portion; it may date from the last years of the 16th century, while the east wing, which is dated 1638, is the latest, but, as the detail throughout is identical and of the type current between 1625-1650, the building may be described as though it were entirely of this one period. The close resemblance in detail between Fountainhall and the Hamilton house at Preston (No. 158 [NT37SE 4]) suggests that they came from the same hands. The greatest dimensions of the building are 104 ½ feet along the north wall by 48 ¾ feet along the east wall.

The building is of light coloured freestone rubble covered with harling except at the dressings, which are exposed. The windows have dressed and backset margins chamfered at jambs and lintel. The dormer windows have moulded horizontal and raking cornices enclosing triangular pediments, which are surmounted by sadly decayed finials trefoiled or crescented. One only of the pediments is inscribed, that of the dormer on the east wing. It bears the date 1638 above initials in monogram I. P. M. D. for John Pringle, son of Robert and his wife, Margaret Dickson. The date is repeated on the south-east skewput of the same wing; beneath this date are the initials R. P. for Robert Pringle. The north-east skewput bears the same initials. On the north-east skewput of the main building is a worn monogram which may be read R. P. V. C. R and C being certain, and so may stand for Robert Pringle and Violet Cant, his wife. The northeast angle of the east wing is chamfered off below a corbelling, under which is a shield inscribed 1638 IVLIE 21, probably the date at which this part was constructed. In the southeast re-entering angle there is a circled turret now curtailed in height, borne on the usual moulded conoidal corbelling. The upper portion of the south wall of the west wing overhangs wall is angled. The south-west angle bears a projecting sundial (1) set about the level of the attic floor.

[for a full architectural description see RCAHMS 1924, 86-9, figs. 127-131]

HERALDIC PANEL. A late 17th century stone panel is inserted in the attic wall of the western wing just beneath the roofing. It has been fractured and is incomplete. Within a moulded border enriched with a cable ornament is a shield charged with a griffin salient within a bordure (Lauder); the shield is supported by lions, and beneath is the initial L for Lauder. This stone has no connection with Fountainhall, and is said to have been brought from the Bass to be inserted in the empty panel space above the garden door.

JOUGS. A pair of jougs with chain and staple, which were formerly secured to the dovecot, are now attached to the exterior of the south wall.

HISTORICAL NOTE. The barony of Fountainhall was constituted in 1685 in favour of John Lauder of Fountainhall, a merchant burgess of Edinburgh, who was known also as of Newington, and Sir John Lauder, advocate, his son. The lands comprised Easter and Wester Templehall to the south, Huntland to the east and Dryburgh lands, and had previously belonged to a family of Pringle of Woodhead or Southwood, the King having in 1636 granted to Robert Pringle, Writer to the Signet, his wife, Violet Cant and John Pringle his son and heir these lands including Southwood alias Woodhead, after resignation by George Cockburn of Ormiston. Robert Pringle was the builder of the present house, then known, therefore, as Woodhead, and was succeeded in Woodhead by John Pringle and another John before the whole property was disposed of to Lauder and its name changed. Sir John Lauder was in 1689 raised to the bench as Lord Fountainhall, known for his historical and legal collections. The Lauders of Fountainhall were connected by rather remote descent with the Lauders of the Bass, and bore the white griffin of that family on their registered arms.

RCAHMS 1924, visited 9 April 1920.

General Register of Sasines, vol. liv, fol. 80 ; Act. Parl. Scot. vol. viii., p. 568; R.M.S. s.a. 1636 No. 482; Stodart's Scottish Arms ii., p. 174

(1) Illustrated and described in Proc. Soc. Ant. Scot. xxiv. p. 165.