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The Hirsel

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Country House (18th Century)

Site Name The Hirsel

Classification Country House (18th Century)

Alternative Name(s) The Hirsel Policies

Canmore ID 59619

Site Number NT84SW 15

NGR NT 82944 40745

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/59619

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

Oblique aerial view. Digital image of BW 3028
Oblique aerial view. Digital image of BW 3028Plans showing alterations and additions to second floor and roof. Scanned image of E 42416 CN.Plans showing alterations and additions to second floor and roof. Scanned image of E 42502.Elevations showing alterations. Scanned image of E 42412 CN.Elevations and section. Scanned image of E 42441.Second floor and roof plan. Scanned image of E 42429.Elevation. Scanned image of E 42437.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stables and glasshouse, taken from the S.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house and stables, taken from the WNW.Interior. View of main staircase.View of chapel, The Hirsel, from SW.View of middle block of The Hirsel from W.Aerial view.Aerial view.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house, taken from the SW.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house and stables, taken from the ESE.The Hirsel, NT84SW 15, Ordnance Survey index card, page number 2, VersoView of herbaceous border to S of house.View from W.General view from SWGeneral view of Laundry from NEDetail of dairy from SSWView of entrance from S.Plans showing alterations to second floor and roof. Scanned image of E 42403.Elevation and plan of boiler room. Scanned image of E 42438.Basement and ground floor plans showing electrics. Scanned image of E 4206 CN.Drainage plan for ground floor. Scanned image of E 42511.Interior. View of main staircase.Photographic copy of plans of basement, ground and first floors showing details of heating and drainage. Floor plans showing details of lighting.General view from SView of garden gateGeneral view of dairy from SSWView of middle block of The Hirsel from W.View of The Hirsel from SE.View of The Hirsel from SE.Aerial view.Aerial view.Aerial view.General oblique aerial view looking across the country house, stable, laundry, offices, museum and lake towards Coldstream and the River Tweed, taken from the WNW.General oblique aerial view looking across the country house, stable, laundry, offices, museum and lake towards Coldstream and Coldstream Mains, taken from the W.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house and stables, taken from the SE.Aerial view.General view of fields with woodland edge.General view of parkland to S of house.General view from SEGeneral view of laundry from SEGeneral view of laundry from WGeneral view of laundry from NWDetail of Sir Alec Douglas Home Monument from WThe Hirsel, ColdstreamSection and plan showing layout of new drive. Scanned image of E 42436.Drainage plan. Scanned image of E 42404.Plans showing additions and alterations including installation of electricity. Scanned image of E 42742.Oblique aerial view.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stables, glasshouse and walled garden, taken from the NE.General view of laundry from WOblique aerial view.Aerial view.Aerial view.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stable, laundry, offices, museum and lake, taken from the SSW.General view of sequoias by monument.General view of parkland near monument to Lord Dunglass.General view of parkland to S of house.General view from SSWGeneral view from SEView from SE.Detail of drum roof lights.View from SW.Elevation, section and plan of standard hand power service lift. Scanned image of E 42435.Section showing alternative surrounds for drawing room doors. Scanned image of E 42439.Details of dado rail in drawing room. Scanned image of E 42737.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stable, laundry, offices, museum and lake, taken from the SSW.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stables, glasshouse and walled garden, taken from the SW.General view from SWGeneral view from SWView of S block of The Hirsel from W.Oblique aerial view.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house and stables, taken from the WNW.Oblique aerial view centred on the country house and stables, taken from the W.Aerial view.General view of rhododendron collection.General view from SWDetail from NEGeneral view of Laundry from NEGeneral view of laundry from NWGeneral view of dairy from SSWGeneral view of dairy from SView from SE.Second floor and roof plans. Scanned image of E 42428 CN.Scanned image of IGL W274/19/8 [negative number to be supplied].Heating plan for second floor. Scanned image of E 42512.Heating plan for second floor. Scanned image of E 42507.Plans showing additions and alterations. Scanned image of E 42727.General oblique aerial view centred on the country house, stables, glasshouse and walled garden, taken from the E.Photographic copy of ground floor and basement plans.General view from NEGeneral view of dairy from SGeneral view of Sir Alec Douglas Home Monument from WView of middle block of The Hirsel from E.View of chapel, The Hirsel, from SE.

First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Scottish Borders, The
  • Parish Coldstream
  • Former Region Borders
  • Former District Berwickshire
  • Former County Berwickshire

Archaeology Notes

NT84SW 15.00 82944 40745

NT84SW 15.01 NT 82494 40689 Laundry and Offices

NT84SW 15.02 NT 82703 40811 Stables

NT84SW 15.03 NT 82787 40184 Homestead with Dovecot

NT84SW 15.04 NT 82021 41354 Obelisk to Lord Dunglass

NT84SW 15.05 NT 82880 40504 Walled Garden with Glasshouses

NT84SW 15.06 NT 82508 40276 Hirsel Lake

NT84SW 15.07 NT 82065 40616 Crooks Steading

NT84SW 15.08 NT 81650 40409 Crook's Lodge (Crooks Avenue)

NT84SW 15.09 NT 81547 40667 Cockburn Lodge

NT84SW 15.10 NT 81307 41120 Montague Lodge (Montague Avenue)

NT84SW 15.11 NT 81665 41217 Estate Footbridge (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.12 NT 82552 41147 Dunglass Bridge (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.13 NT 82959 40876 Estate Footbridge (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.14 NT 83064 40659 Estate Footbridge (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.15 NT 83102 40717 Caul (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.16 NT 83061 40058 Estate Footbridge (Leet Water)

NT84SW 15.17 NT 83212 41491 Kincham Lodge (Kincham Avenue)

For excavated church and burial-ground at Dial Knowe or Low Field, see NT84SW 3.

For discovery of cists at The Hirsel, see NT84SW 4.

For Hirsel Law fort (NT 8250 4162), see NT84SW 7.

For possible plantation bank at NT 821 407, see NT84SW 26.

The Hirsel, the seat of the Earl of Home is a long, narrow mansion-house facing the SW, the larger (NW) part of which has been built at various times in the 19th century. The SE end dates from about the beginning of the 17th century and consists of a centre, with a wing at each end, and a square tower projecting beyond the SW wing, the whole length of this part of the house being about 110ft. It is quite probable that the SW wing, which is a square of about 25ft, with the SW tower, which is joined to it anglewise, may be older than the other part, but as the windows have been enlarged and other alterations made, this is uncertain, though the many masons' marks that are visible favour the idea of an earlier date for this portion. The original entrance, which appears to have been in the S side of the NW wing, is now built up and partly occupied by one of the enlarged windows. The house is three storeys high.

RCAHMS 1915, visited 1909.

Photographed by the RCAHM in 1980 and 1999.

RCAHMS 1980 AP catalogue 1980.

Further Details

Architecture Notes

NMRS REFERENCE:

Owner: Sir Alex Douglas Home. (deceased)

Achitects: William Adam 1739-41 Stables (demolished)

William Burn 1851

David Bryce 1858

James Campbell Walker - additions and chapel 1898-1905

George Henderson - additions.

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

S.N.P.G. - S.M.T Magazine, January, 1951

Further Details

Activities

Field Visit (23 January 1909)

RCAHMS County Inventory: Berwickshire

102. The Hirsel.

The mansion-house of the Hirsel, the Berwickshire seat of the Earl of Home, is situated within an extensive domain, about 1 ½ miles north-west from Coldstream. It is a long, narrow house facing the south-west, the larger or north-western part of which has been built at various times in the 19th century. The south-east end dates from about the beginning of the 17th century, and consists of a centre, with a wing at each end, and a square tower projecting beyond the south-west wing, the whole length of this part of the house being about 110 feet. It is quite probable that the south-west wing, which is a square of about 25 feet, with the southwest tower, which is joined to it angle wise, may be older than the other part; but as the windows have been enlarged and other alterations made, this is uncertain, though the many masons' marks that are visible favour the idea of an earlier date for this portion. The original entrance, which appears to have been in the south side of the north-west wing, is now built up and partly occupied by one of the enlarged windows and has the appearance of having had its mouldings chipped away. The house is three storeys high, and in the centre, below the upper-floor window, there is a round relieving arch about25 feet wide, which would seem to indicate some unfulfilled intention on the part of the builders. As is usual in houses of the period, there is only one room in the breadth between the side walls. There is a fine stone staircase in the centre portion, having a stone balustrade with raking mouldings at the steps and horizontal mouldings at the landings, and also finely designed dies and half-dies at the corners, with large ball finials and a massive stone moulded cope.

RCAHMS 1915, visited 23rd January 1909.

OS Map: Ber., xxix. NW.

Further Details

Photographic Survey (1955)

Photographic survey of the exterior of the Hirsel, Berwickshire, by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1955.

Further Details

Photographic Survey (1956)

Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1956.

Further Details

Sbc Note

Visibility: This is an upstanding building.

Information from Scottish Borders Council.

Further Details

References

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