Gullane, Duncur Road, The Pleasance
House (20th Century)
Site Name Gullane, Duncur Road, The Pleasance
Classification House (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Muirfield Gate
Canmore ID 196244
Site Number NT48SE 99
NGR NT 48896 83508
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/196244
First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.
- Council East Lothian
- Parish Dirleton
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District East Lothian
- Former County East Lothian
Muirfield Gate was recorded as part of the Threatened Buildings Survey in June 2010 prior to proposed extensive alterations.
The Pleasance, its original name, was designed and built by Arthur G Sydney Mitchell as his own residence. Initially it was built as a holiday house over looking the Muirfield Golfcourse that had opened in 1891. On his retirement in 1911 from architectural practice in Edinburgh he moved to The Pleasance permanently until his death in 1930. The plans for the first phase of the house are dated June 1897. This consisted of an L-plan block approached from the east with the north wing housing the service accommodation and the principal rooms of hall, dining room and drawing room facing west. The latter also had a bay window looking south over the garden and the hall opened into a veranda overlooking the golf course and the sea. The principla bedrooms were arranged above the reception rooms.The interior of the house was featured in Das Englische Haus by Herman Muthesius published in 1905.
Mitchell also built in 1897 a coach house, stable and cottage to the east of the new house. In 1904 Bedford Lamere photographed the house.
In1907 Mitchell extended the house adding a smoking room to the north beyond the dining room and enlarging the service accommodation. Around the time of his retirement in 1911 he carried out further alterations converting and extending the coach house and stable to form a new music room which he linked to the drawing room by a glazed pergola or corrridor conservatory. He had used a similar device at Leithen Lodge in the Scottish Borders. The Pleasance in its completed form was photographed by Country Life in 1912.
In the 1950's the glazed pergola and part of the service wing were demolished and the cottage was sold seperately.
Lindsay Buchan has carried out the recent extensive renovations including recreating the glazed pergola and restoring the music room.
STG 2014
NT48SE 99.00 48896 83508
NT48SE 99.01 48922 83499 Gate-house and Garage
NMRS REFERENCE
Architect: Sydney Mitchell & Wilson
Standing Building Recording (21 July 2011 - 22 July 2011)
Headland Archaeology was commissioned by Lindsay Buchan Architects to undertake a Historic Buildings Appraisal on a large A-listed residence at Muirfield Gate, Duncur Road, Gullane (Illus 1). The work was required to satisfy a planning condition set out by the East Lothian Council Archaeology Service in advance of a major renovation of the house and grounds.
Information from Oasis (headland2-106190) 15 January 2013
NT 48896 83508 A standing building appraisal was undertaken 21–22 July 2011 of this large Category A listed building, which was constructed in 1907, prior to renovation work. The appraisal recorded a number of documented modifications to Muirfield Gate.
Archive: RCAHMS
Funder: Lindsay Buchan Architects
Headland Archaeolog 2011
