Houndwood House
Country House (Post Medieval), Inscribed Stone (17th Century), Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Houndwood House
Classification Country House (Post Medieval), Inscribed Stone (17th Century), Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Houndwood House Policies
Canmore ID 59900
Site Number NT86SE 5
NGR NT 85426 63013
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/59900
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Coldingham
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Berwickshire
- Former County Berwickshire
NT86SE 5.00 85426 63013
NT86SE 5.01 85352 62815 South Lodge
NT86SE 5.02 85456 63222 North Lodge
NT86SE 5.03 85338 62863 South Bridge
NT86SE 5.04 85429 63117 Walled Garden
NT86SE 5.05 85426 63055 Garden Bridge
NT86SE 5.06 85390 63019 Garden Bridge
NT86SW 31 c. 842 638 Houndwood Hunting Lodge
(NT 85426 63013) Houndwood House (NAT).
OS 6" map, Berwickshire, 2nd ed., (1909).
Houndwood House incorporates a peel tower, which has been preserved in its entirety. A stone above the door of the house, bearing the date 1656, came from the old mansion-house of Fulfordlees (NT 7668) which was pulled down before 1879.
J Hardy 1882.
The date of the present Houndwood House, extensively enlarged and modernised early this century, is not known. There are no external indications of a peel-tower but, within, at the east end, is a spiral stone stairway, and the basement is barrel-vaulted. A room off the stairway is called the 'Tower' room.
There is reputed to have been a dwelling at Houndwood in 1143 and Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have stayed there in 1555 (Information from Mr J K T Glen, owner, Houndwood House).
Visited by OS (WDJ) 21 February 1966.
Field Visit (19 August 1908)
78. Houndwood House.
This mansion is situated to the north of the main road from Edinburgh to Berwick, about 2 miles west-northwest of Reston junction. It has been much modernised by the building of a new front on the north side and by other alterations. The original house appears to have been an oblong structure 83 feet in length and 21 feet 8 inches in breadth externally, with walls 4 feet in thickness. There is a turnpike stair from the basement in the northeast corner, and another small stair in the thickness of the wall in the north-west corner, which leads from the first floor to the basement. The basement is vaulted throughout with simple barrel-vaults. Above the main entrance in the north-west corner is an inscribed tablet said to have been brought from the old mansion-house of Fulfordlees. It bears on a central shield the letters M.T.R. surrounded by the following couplet;
NUNC MEA, TUNC HUJUS,
POST ILLIUS NESCIO CUJUS, and the date 1656.
See Ber. Nat. Club, 1879-81, p. 12.
RCAHMS 1915, visited 19th August 1908
OS Map: Ber., xi. NW.
Sbc Note
Visibility: This is an upstanding building.
Information from Scottish Borders Council.
