Newhailes, Ladies Walk

Ladies Walk, also known as the Terrace Walk is a man made structure running for approximately 280m across the Parkland in the Newhailes estate. Starting from a pair of columns ca. 200m WNW of Newhailes House it runs in a NE direction, forming the boundary between Sheep Park and Cow Park before terminating abruptly. When built the northern end of the Walk was joined to a viewing platform and stairs by a small footbridge (known as Ladies Bridge), although this is now gone, having been vandalised in the 1960s.

The Walk was constructed at some point prior to 1750 (it is visible on General Roy’s survey) and was incorporated into the layout of Newhailes by Sir James Dalrymple with classical architectural features as evidenced by the remains of the gateway at its southern end. It was an essential link in the circuit of walks in the pleasure grounds. It is a unique and striking feature of major design and cultural importance.

The Walk is ca. 4.5m in width and consists of a clay and sand core retained by a brick wall on the western side and a stone wall on the eastern side.

The W side of the walk is constructed of orangey-red low-fired narrow brick in a somewhat irregular English garden wall bond rising to a total height of 1.8m from its foundations. It had a stepped double base course, the lower of edge-laid bricks. The wall also had a slight batter towards the base. The wall top was finished with a single course of edge-laid bricks within which was an 8cm wide channel defined on its inner side by an edging of single edge-laid bricks. The channel and edging were bedded on solid brickwork, with the wall having a total thickness of 0.45m. The channel may have been for drainage.

The E side of the wall is of rubble construction, flush pointed in a manner similar to the Ha-Ha. It has a vertical face and no foundation course; in parts its upper section has partly collapsed in the area of the evaluation but still retained its full height of 1.55m. Below ground the facing is well preserved. This difference in construction must be for aesthetic reasons to the east (view from the house) and perhaps for economy on the other side. Brick was also employed for the field boundaries of the western field (Cow Park).

Excavations in 2001 investigated the form of Ladies Walk, finding that it had not been surfaced with gravel or paving but had most likely been turfed with a slightly cambered profile.

The same excavations were also able to demonstrate that the ground level around Ladies Walk had risen by 0.3-0.45m, and therefore the terrace would have been visible for 1.1-1.2m above ground.

Ladies Bridge (at the northern end) was in place until the 1960s and a local resident recalls it being humped, with the viewing terrace beyond. Building survey of Ladies Walk has identified the springers of the bridge arch as surviving on the structure.

Archaeological investigations into the stone gate piers at the southern end of Ladies Walk were carried out in 2002. The piers were in a state of dereliction and heavily overgrown with ivy; as part of the work the piers were cleared and a drawn survey produced. The archaeological work was able to establish that the gate piers are contemporary with the construction of Ladies Walk and that within the entrance area the ground level was lower than at present, attested to by the recovery of a threshold still in situ. The gates originally would have been wooden, and were upgraded to wrought iron in the 19th century, at the same time that stabilisation of the stonework with braces and iron cramps was carried out.

Historic plans and estate maps show that Ladies Walk had hedges and bushes planted along the eastern side for some of its length.

Research suggests that this form of raised terrace may be unique in Scotland. Ladies walk forms an integral part of the overall designed estate at Newhailes, connecting as it does the Water Gardens and the House.

Information from NTS, January 2013