Letham Grange
Date 21 July 2014
Event ID 979786
Category Management
Type Site Management
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/979786
Letham Grange is a two-storey mansion designed in a classical style with flanking wings, a semi-circular Doric portico and a square-plan, balustraded tower on the west elevation of the house. The house is constructed in ashlar sandstone. There is a glazed timber conservatory attached to the south elevation.
Letham Grange is an architecturally distinctive early-19th century country house with extensive late-19th century alterations and extensions. Its design quality and classical style is prominent in the landscape and is the central component of the former Letham Grange estate. It is largely unaltered in terms of its plan form and it retains much of its historic character and authenticity.
n the 13th century the lands of Letham were granted by the Abbey of Arbroath to Hugo Heem. Ownership of the land changed numerous times over the centuries and comprised a number of estates (Gazetteer for Scotland). In 1822 John Hay Esquire, former Provost of Arbroath, bought and consolidated Letham, Peebles and New Grange estates to form Letham Grange. Hay had a mansion built near the site of an earlier manor called Newgrange. The new mansion house, named Letham Grange, was designed by Archibald Simpson and built between 1827 and 1830. Hay died in 1869. Letham Grange was sold in 1876 to James Fletcher Esquire of Rosehaugh (1807-85). The house and estate remained in the ownership of the Fletcher family until the mid-20th century (Groome, p.502).
James Fletcher hired the architect John Rhind to extensively remodel the house and improve the estate between 1877 and 1885 (Dictionary of Scottish Architects; Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review). On his death the estate passed to his son Fitzroy Charles Fletcher (1858-1902) and improvement works continued by Alexander Ross, including considerable extensions to the Home Farm, the addition of large, heated greenhouses, and the construction of the stable block to the immediate west of the walled garden in around 1888 (Arbroath Herald and Advertiser, 1902).
The last laird of Letham Grange died in 1957 and the house was unoccupied from this time until 1987 when Letham Grange opened as a country house hotel which operated until the mid-2000s (Aberdeen Press and Journal). The 'Old' golf course opened in 1987 followed by the 'Glen' golf course in 1991. Around this time parts of the estate grounds were sold off in lots and developed as housing. The mansion is currently unoccupied (2022). (Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)
