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Saltoun Hall
Castle (Medieval), Country House (19th Century)
Site Name Saltoun Hall
Classification Castle (Medieval), Country House (19th Century)
Canmore ID 54697
Site Number NT46NE 8
NGR NT 46065 68447
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/54697
- Council East Lothian
- Parish Saltoun
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District East Lothian
- Former County East Lothian
NT46NE 8.00 46065 68447
(NT 4608 6844) Saltoun Hall (NAT)
OS 6" map (1969)
Saltoun Hall, a large mansion in Castellated Gothic style, was built by William Burn from 1817 on a basis of earlier work. The house faces N. The earliest part is the range on the W. In 1769 Lord Fletcher was adding a two-storey wing along what is now the S front; all that is left of it is an inscribed tablet now in the gallery. This wing and the old block formed and 'L', with a stair in the angle. In 1803, Robert Burn added turrets at the engles and castellated the whole work, but William Burn's vast enlargements obliterated all the earlier structure. The Hall was subdivided into flats in 1967.
In the 12th century, Saltoun was a possession of the de Morevilles; in 1548 it was one of the strengths occupied by the English, and in 1643 the lands and barony of Saltoun with tower, manor place, etc were sold to Sir Andrew Fletcher.
C McWilliam 1978; RCAHMS 1924, visited 1920
As described.
Visited by OS (BS) 25 July 1975.
NT46NE 8.00 NT 46065 68447
NT46NE 8.01 NT 4610 6838 Garden
NT46NE 8.02 NT 4608 6844 Sundial
NT46NE 8.03 NT 46241 68311 Ornamental well
NT46NE 8.04 NT 45516 67626 West Lodge
NT46NE 8.05 NT 46463 68227 South Lodge
NT46NE 8.06 NT 457 688 Garden Cottage
NT46NE 8.07 NT 45864 68874 Gas works
NT46NE 8.08 NT 46241 68357 Carriage House
NT46NE 25 NT 46507 68842 Home Farm
NT46NE 27 NT 45978 68973 North Lodge
NT46NE 28 NT 46250 68338 Stables
NT46NE 37 NT 45932 68494 Dovecot
NT46NE 38 NT 46517 68837 Home Farm, Dovecot
NMRS REFERENCE:
Owner: Capt. J.T.T.Fletcher
Architects: Robert Burn - additions 1803
William Burn - large scale additions 1818-1825
W. Beattie Brown - South Lodge 1913
J. Edmundson & Co - gasworks
Inventory of drawings in National Library - typescript list R6(P4)
Inventory to John Warren Drawings - typrscript list (R6(P46)
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
Scottish Record Office
Described as a 'Great New Gothic Castle'.
Letter from Harriet Scott to Lady Diana Scott, her mother-in-law.
1825 GD 157/2294/1
[Architect: William Burn 1789-1870].
National Library of Scotland - Saltoun Maps. John Hay 1818 - design for a kitchen garden, orchard etc.
John Bell, Land surveyor 1805 - plan of the estate of Saltoun
Field Visit (25 June 1920)
Salton Hall stands one mile north of Salton station, on the right bank of the winding Birns Water, above its confluence with the Tyne. It is a large and imposing mansion in the Tudor style of last century, but there is an earlier nucleus overlaid and obscured by the modern work, and this goes back at least as far as the early 17th century. This portion is the part on the west which crests the steep river bank. It is now four storeys in height and has been refaced and otherwise modernised, but the basement still retains in parts its stone vaulted ceilings.
DOVECOT. On the opposite bank of the river there is a dovecot, which is apparently a late 18th century structure but may not be much older than the modern portion of the house. Externally it is square, but it is circled internally and the nests are of stone. It is treated in a free rendering of the Classic style.
HISTORICAL NOTE. Salton in the 12th century formed part of the great possessions of the De Morevilles, hereditary Constables of Scotland. About 1295 it was held by William of Abernethy (1), and in 1483 all the lands of this family were erected, in favour of William Lord Abernethy ‘in Rothemay’(Banffshire) into the free barony of Salton (2). The laird of Salton in 1547 was pro-English and was one of the Lothian lairds who had placed his house in ‘our auld ynemeis hands’, for which reason, and because no one would undertake to hold the place against the English invaders, the Privy Council ordered the destruction of it as it then stood (3). But in February 1548 Salton was one of the strengths occupied by the English (4). In 1643 the lands and barony of Salton with tower, manor place, etc. were sold to Sir Andrew Fletcher of Inverpeffer (5), who, as a judge of Session, became Lord Innerpeffer. In 1650 Sir Robert Fletcher of ‘Innerpeffer’ was served heir to his father Sir Andrew Fletcher of ‘Innerpeffer’ in the lands and barony of Salton (6).
RCAHMS 1924, visited 25 June 1920.
(1) Reg. de Dryburgh No. 304; (2) Reg. Mag. Sig. ii., No. 1534; (3) Reg. P.C. i., p. 82; (4) Scot. Pap. i., No. 168; (5) R.M.S. s.a. No. 1388; (6) Inquisit. Spec. Hadd. No. 222.
