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Newhailes House, Ha Ha
Ha Ha (Post Medieval)
Site Name Newhailes House, Ha Ha
Classification Ha Ha (Post Medieval)
Canmore ID 349285
Site Number NT37SW 1253
NGR NT 32806 72612
NGR Description FROM 332597, 672707 TO 332831, 672446
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/349285
- Council East Lothian
- Parish Inveresk (East Lothian)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District East Lothian
- Former County Midlothian
Field Visit (1999)
The ha-ha delineates the promontory lawn and the Long Walk between the East and West Groves and the park. The ha-ha is severely dilapidated and includes stone and brick construction with a flat stone cope. Two sets of iron posts from line wire fences are fixed at the wall corners; one wrought iron, one mild steel. A timber post and wire fence in poor condition provides a functioning fence line around the promontory.
The ditch to the ha-ha is heavily silted and scrubbed up in some lengths, making it difficult to determine its exact height and the depth of the adjoining ditch (if any).
(NEH99 B26)
Information from NTS (SCS) December 2015
Standing Building Recording (29 November 2017 - 1 December 2017)
NT 32772 72579 A historic building survey and assessment were undertaken, 29 November – 1 December 2017, of the central part of the ha-ha, Newhailes House. This part of the ha-ha had been emptied out and the exposed masonry carefully cleaned of soil and vegetation for architectural/structural assessment and recording.
A photographic and drawn record was made of the newly exposed features including: the pier to the SE, which had formerly supported a leadwork figural sculpture; the junctions of the angled sections of ha-ha walling and the rectangular ha-ha wall defined annex that projects to the NE; and two broad entrances at the outer angles of the annex, these leading to the SE and NW respectively (the latter subsequently infilled with brickwork of early character). In addition, localised investigations were made at the junctions of the ha-ha extension and the SE-facing entrance and the footings of the SE pier were cleaned to reveal its foundation structure for recording.
The investigations revealed that the E pier appeared to have been part of the same phase of construction as the ha-ha, with the ha-ha walls built directly against the plinth. Excavations at the ha-ha extension revealed the former line of the walling and suggested that the wall had been dismantled and the stones perhaps reused to build the apron extension. Excavations at the former entrance indicated this was an original feature of the ha-ha, with the western side infilled historically with early brick.
Archive: NRHE (intended) and National Trust for Scotland
Funder: National Trust for Scotland
Kenny Macfadyen – Addyman Archaeology
(Source: DES Vol 19)
