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Mavisbank House

Country House (18th Century)

Site Name Mavisbank House

Classification Country House (18th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Mavisbank Estate; Mavisbank House Policies; New Saughton Hall

Canmore ID 51726

Site Number NT26NE 54

NGR NT 28807 65146

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/51726

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Digital Images


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

Administrative Areas

  • Council Midlothian
  • Parish Lasswade
  • Former Region Lothian
  • Former District Midlothian
  • Former County Midlothian

Treasured Places (20 July 2007)

In 1723 work commenced on the construction of Mavisbank House, the design resulting from collaboration between the owner, Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, and the architect William Adam. Built in the classical style, the main house is linked by screen walls to flanking pavilions. A fire in 1973 destroyed the roof and the house is currently a shell.

Information from RCAHMS (SC) 20 July 2007

McWilliam, C 1978

Archaeology Notes

NT26NE 54.00 28807 65146

NT26NE 36 c. 28 65 Barrow; Urns

NT26NE 43 2872 6506 Earthworks

NT 28807 65146 (Mavisbank House) A re-assessment was undertaken of the designed landscape and analytical history of Mavisbank House. Compilation of a gazetteer of landscape features and built structures represents a comprehensive upgrading of previous assessments.

A previously unrecorded ice house was discovered below the existing game larder; well preserved and linked to the game larder. A possible 'tump' or stand of trees forming a visual terminus to the northern vista was also identified.

Assessment was undertaken of the doocot forming the 'eye-catcher' at the E end of the main vista. Low walls on either side had been reduced in height; patchings on either side of the doocot tower suggested that these walls had been shaped in order to form a silhouette on the skyline as seen from the house.

Initial assessment of the walled garden confirmed that this had originally been oval, but designed so that it appeared circular when viewed from the house. It was deduced that there had been a further vista aligned on the centre of the S frontage of the house that bisected the walled garden.

The SW annexe to the walled garden, now triangular in form, had most probably been rectangular originally, as suggested by Roy's map of c 1750. The surviving gazebo was deduced to have been on the central axis of this former arrangement, an axis that may also have been aligned on the doocot at the E end of the policies.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

T Addyman 2004

Architecture Notes

NT26NE 54.00 28807 65146

NT26NE 54.01 28573 65532 Lodge

NT26NE 54.02 28541 65536 Jointure house

NT26NE 54.03 28935 65072 Walled Garden

NT26NE 54.04 28811 65210 Ice-house

NT26NE 54.05 c.2882 6509 Game-larder

NT26NE 54.06 29392 65742 Dovecot

NT26NE 54.07 29580 65762 East Lodge

NT26NE 54.08 2887 6522 Pond

NT26NE 54.09 28549 65535 81 Linden Place

NT26SE 101.00 28846 64905 Dairy including South Lodge and The Coach House

NT26SE 101.01 28868 64916 Gazebo

NMRS REFERENCE:

Architect: William Adam & Sir John Clerk 1723. John Baxter (elder) builder

William Aikman - advising on decoration of staircase 1725

James Smith - letter to Clerk of Penicuik 1721

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

Scottish Records Office:

1. Account of money paid to masons and wrights.

2. An agreement with William Adam concerning the completion of the Dome is added

1723 GD 18/1765

Accounts relating to the building and upkeep. They include receipts and discharges by William Adam and John Baxter

1723-37 GD 18/1767

Estimate of the cost of raising the "communications"one storey higher.

1762 GD 18/1771

Comptation of slate, lead, wright and plaster work. With the addition of pavilion and garden the total is #1214. Calculation by William Adam.

1723 GD 18/1766

Accounts relating to the building and upkeep. Include receipts and discharges by William Adam and John Baxter.

1723-37 GD 18/1767

Estimate. Cost of raising the "communications" one storey higher.

1762 GD 18/1771

[ ] Waterfall

Drawing of hewn rock

1714 GD 18/1775

Laying the foundation. William Adam, architect, writes from Floors to say that he will call at [Mavisbank] and report to Sir John Clerk on the foundation. He apologises for not returning Sir John's drawing board.

1723 GD 18/4724

William Adam, architect, in his letter to Sir John Clerk mentions the alteration of the situation of the offices, the pavilion, the rural garden and the stair.

1738 GD 18/4735/2

Measurement of the chimneypieces. William Adam in a letter to Sir John Clerk asks that john Baxter should check the measurements against these he encloses. He mentions the price of marble.

1737 GD 18/4734

William Adam, architect. Letter which apparently accompanied an account measured and drawn out by Mr Calderwood for sir john Clerk.

1729 GD 18/4732/2

Marble chimney pieces. William Adam, architect, asks for a week's notice when Sir John Clerk wished to have the chimney pieces erected.

1735 GD 18/4733

William Adam's letters to Sir John Clerk mention the construction of the staircase, banister and a little pillar at the foot of the stair. He has the mahogany wood which would be suitable.

1726-8 GD 18/4729/1-6

William Adam's letter to Sir John Clerk concerning the building of Mavisbank and one letter from Sir John concerning a mistake. Topics mentioned cover plaster work, pilasters, cornices, octagon pavilions, vestibule, staircase and marble chimney pieces.

1724-25 GD 18/4728/1-15

Letter from William Adam, architect. [1689-1748]. He writes to Sir John Clerk regarding his plan.

1723 GD 18/4719

Construction of the pilasters. Letter to Sir John Clerk regarding their construction and illustrating his point by a plan.

1723 GD 18/4725

The cartouche at the entry door. It is to support the coat of arms. Letter to Sir John Clerk from William Adam, architect, to introduce Mr Silverstyne, the carver, who is to do the work.

1723 GD 18/4726

Letter from William Adam, architect [1689-1748]. He writes to Sir John Clerk regarding his plans and gives his reasons for the layout of the rooms.

1723 GD 18/4719

Pavilions: GD/18/1767/24 Sept 19th 1731 Accont. of Jp: Johnston Wright

'flooring above ye coachhouse in South pavilion'

therefore N pavilion presumably kitchen

Clerk of Penicuik Memoirs additional notes - Explaining why he did not rebuild at penicuik ' and therefor I built and embellished mavisbank between 1723 and 1746 more than absolutely necessary'

Scottish Records Office - RHP 9372 1697 - plan of park

Scottish Records Office - Penicuik Papers - information on building

Site Management (20 February 2017)

Classical country house or villa comprising 2-storey over basement, 5-bay square plan corps de logis, with flanking quadrant screen walls curving forward and linking to symmetrically disposed rectangular plan single storey over basement pavilions. Cream sandstone ashlar principal elevation and quadrants, rubble (formerly harled) walls to side and rear elevations, and pavilions, all with polished ashlar dressings and margins. Base course, eaves course, modillioned cornice at eaves, balustrade above with regularly spaced corniced and panelled dies surmounted by urns (missing 1996). Horizontally channelled strip pilasters framing centre 3 bays and clasping corners at principal and 1st floors, pilaster pedestals to outer left and right with Latin inscriptions. Margined window jambs with cill and lintel courses at forming grid pattern at principal floors to side and rear elevations of main block. Margined windows to screen walls and pavilions

One of Scotland's most important country houses, the well-documented collaboration between William Adam and the lawyer-scholar, Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, resulted in a highly original design on a freshfield site. Sir John's father had planned a house here, and a drawing of 1698 shows a plain square box with coupled chimneystacks perched on top of a tall piended roof. This became the basis, enriched and Palladianized, of the present house. John Baxter Senior was the mason contractor, and William Sylverstyne the stone carver.

The house was recast circa 1840 with a symmetrical arrangement of large well-designed additions (possibly Thomas Hamilton) flanking the rear elevation to provide a drawing room and ball room (demolished 1954). It appears that the parterre within the principal courtyard was excavated at this time, and the cills of basement windows lowered with the forestair. Further extensions were added to the front of the pavilions in the 1880s, but these were also demolished in 1954. Until recent consolidation work, the corps de logis retained many timber sash and case windows, in a 12-pane pattern to the principal floors, and 16 and 4-pane patterns to the basement, although it is likely that the majority of the multi-pane windows are from the 1840 re-casting. A photograph of circa 1956 shows a blind window at 1st floor displaying what appears to be the original 24 pane arrangement with thicker glazing bars.

Since the fire of 1973, the house has lost some urns from the principal balustrade and pediment, and the ornate 19th century cast-iron balustrade to the principal forestair. It has also lost its roofs, essential to understanding the French and Dutch influence of the design. Of grey slate, they comprised a distinctive and unusual domical piended platform roof to the main block, piended and bell-cast roofs to pavilions with a monopitch to the service wing. A-group with Doocot, Gazebo, Walled Gardens, Ice House, Dairy, Game Larder, and East Lodge (Kevock Road, Lasswade).(Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)

Activities

Field Visit (1 April 1952 - 30 April 1952)

Field Visit (1 April 1954 - 30 April 1954)

Photographic Survey (1956)

Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1956.

Photographic Survey (1 November 1959 - 30 November 1959)

Photographs by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1959.

Standing Building Recording (18 December 1973)

Design (1981)

Designs for a possible reconstruction.

Photographic Record (October 1982 - 1983)

Photographic Record (1983)

Photographer unknown

Aerial Photography (1983)

Field Visit (1985)

Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland

Photographic Record (1987)

Photographer unknown

Photogrammetric Survey (June 1992)

Historic Scotland commissioned Photarc Surveys to carry out a photogrammetric survey in June 1992 at Mavisbank House.

Information from Historic Scotland.

Aerial Photography (2 March 1998)

Standing Building Recording (2004)

NT 28807 65146 (Mavisbank House) A re-assessment was undertaken of the designed landscape and analytical history of Mavisbank House. Compilation of a gazetteer of landscape features and built structures represents a comprehensive upgrading of previous assessments.

A previously unrecorded ice house was discovered below the existing game larder; well preserved and linked to the game larder. A possible 'tump' or stand of trees forming a visual terminus to the northern vista was also identified.

Assessment was undertaken of the doocot forming the 'eye-catcher' at the E end of the main vista. Low walls on either side had been reduced in height; patchings on either side of the doocot tower suggested that these walls had been shaped in order to form a silhouette on the skyline as seen from the house.

Initial assessment of the walled garden confirmed that this had originally been oval, but designed so that it appeared circular when viewed from the house. It was deduced that there had been a further vista aligned on the centre of the S frontage of the house that bisected the walled garden.

The SW annexe to the walled garden, now triangular in form, had most probably been rectangular originally, as suggested by Roy's map of c 1750. The surviving gazebo was deduced to have been on the central axis of this former arrangement, an axis that may also have been aligned on the doocot at the E end of the policies.

Archive to be deposited in the NMRS.

Excavation (28 July 2008 - 1 August 2008)

NT 2890 6515; NT 2891 6516; NT 2886 6542 As part of remedial works excavations were carried out on and near the road to the E and S of Mavisbank House on 28 July–01 August 2008. Two trenches were sited E of the house towards the top of a slope, S of a sharp bend to the W, in an area where a landslip had occurred during the previous winter. A third trench was opened at the bottom of the hill immediately W of the boundary wall in the S part of the nursery, in an area where surface water had been seen to accumulate.

The excavations revealed several different phases of roadway and water damage. It appears that the roadway

has been progressively raised and narrowed, with the W edge moving E. The woodland has gradually extended E over the track, and rather than cutting back the woodland the track has simply been pushed a little further E and narrowed. Clearly there has been a long-term problem with flooding. The construction of each new roadway surface has involved the laying of deposits of ash, or other porous material, into the area to the W of it and has raised the level of the road.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland

Alan Radley (Kirkdale Archaeology), 2008

Watching Brief (28 February 2014 - 15 April 2014)

Addyman Archaeology were appointed by the Mavisbank Trust to oversee all ground breaking works associated with the installation of a path network in the policies of the 18th century Mavisbank House. Primarily this involved the removal of c.0.30m of topsoil across the path network where this lay within the limits of the Scheduled Monument. In the area known as the cricket pitch around the walled garden, excavation revealed a firm deposit of predominantly red blaize. Bricks dateable to the early 20th century were recorded within the deposit. It is likely that the levelling in this area is associated with the recorded use of the cricket pitch for horses, with stables built against the external face of the nearby walled garden. North of the cricket pitch, a localised spread of industrial detritus likely relates to the mining, or industrial usage of the area. A linear bank noted, and crossed by the path at the northern end of the policies is likely to be upcast from a now much degraded drainage ditch.

Information from Oasis (addymana1-174575) 26 September 2017

Project (8 March 2016 - 17 March 2016)

NT 28807 65146 The parkland around Mavisbank House is suffering from severe drainage problems, and a programme of geophysical survey was undertaken, 8–17 March 2016, with the aim of identifying buried services and drains, potential activity associated with mining and possible earlier farmsteads. Two areas, the upper and lower terraces of the parkland, were investigated with gradiometry and resistance survey covering a total area of 5.4ha. An additional small survey over a postulated fort to the rear of the house was also carried out.

The survey identified numerous ferrous pipes, terracotta drains and possible stone culverts. While several of these correspond with known drainage features and services, others are thought to have been unknown. The resistance survey also detected anomalies consistent with robber trenches thought to be associated with a former farmstead on the upper terrace.

A small area of GPR survey was undertaken over of a cluster of anomalies thought to possibly be a structure or ground disturbance associated with a chamber situated centrally within the lower terrace. The GPR survey suggests that most of the anomalies are simply due to natural gravel deposits. However, one coherent anomaly has been detected which may be of interest, although it is not clear if it may be associated with mining. The area available for survey over the postulated fort was limited by very steep slopes, dense vegetation and fallen trees. However, strong anomalies suggestive of revetments have been detected and broadly coincide with the existing earthworks. The data also suggest a clear potential entrance. In addition, anomalies indicative of possible structural

remains have been noted although their origin is unclear.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

Ground Penetrating Radar (8 March 2016 - 17 March 2016)

NT 28807 65146 Ground penetrating radar survey.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

Magnetometry (8 March 2016 - 17 March 2016)

NT 28807 65146 Gradiometer survey.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

Resistivity (8 March 2016 - 17 March 2016)

NT 28807 65146 Resistivity survey.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

Geophysical Survey (9 October 2017 - 18 October 2017)

NT 28980 65272 Geophysical survey, October 2017, within the property in care of Mavisbank Policies, as part of the Minor Archaeological Services Call Off Contract.

The results of the geophysical survey are shown in the report below this one.

Archive: NRHE (intended). Report: HER

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Graeme Carruthers – CFA Archaeology Ltd

(Source: DES Volume 19)

OASIS ID - cfaarcha1-301840 (G Carruthers) 2017

Magnetometry (31 October 2017 - 1 November 2017)

NT 28807 65146 Magnetometry survey was undertaken, 31 October – 1 November 2017, immediately to the NE of the original survey with the aim of locating further drainage features.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: CFA Archaeology Ltd on behalf of HES

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES Volume 19)

Resistivity (31 October 2017 - 1 November 2017)

NT 28807 65146 Resistance survey was undertaken, 31 October – 1 November 2017, immediately to the NE of the original survey with the aim of locating further drainage features.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: CFA Archaeology Ltd on behalf of HES

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES Volume 19)

Project (31 October 2017 - 1 November 2017)

NT 28807 65146 The parkland around Mavisbank House is suffering from severe drainage problems, and a programme of geophysical survey was undertaken in March 2016 with the aim of identifying buried services and drains. Recent work targeted some of these anomalies and the postulated location of other potential drains based on map evidence. The results of these excavations, in terms of locating drainage features, were mixed, and as a result, additional gradiometer and resistance survey was undertaken, 31 October – 1 November 2017, immediately to the NE of the original survey with the aim of locating further drainage features.

Although some anomalies of possible interest have been detected, their interpretation is cautious given the small areas, adjacent ferrous material and landscaping. The data suggest a feature, probably an iron pipe, leading to a cistern just to the SE of the survey area. Two very weak linear responses have been detected in the W of the survey area. While it is possible that these may indicate the location of possible drainage features, interpretation is extremely cautious given the limited area available for survey and relatively high levels of background noise.

Archive: Rose Geophysical Consultants

Funder: CFA Archaeology Ltd on behalf of HES

Susan Ovenden – Rose Geophysical Consultants

(Source: DES Volume 19)

Field Visit (January 2019)

NT 28807 65146 In January 2019 a survey of the designed landscape surrounding Mavisbank House was undertaken. The results of the walkover survey were included in a gazetteer of features of the estate, which built upon and updated previous assessment in 2004.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: HES

Jenni Morrison and Tudor Skinner - Addyman Archaeology

(Source: DES Vol 20)

Watching Brief (March 2019)

NT 28900 65142 A watching brief was conducted, in March 2019, during groundworks for the upgrade of the road to Mavisbank House (PIC 156). Several brick and stone structures were recorded, including a brick culvert, a brick drainage sump with drainpipe, and a brick gully with stone kerb running along the eastern edge of the trackway, along with a fragment of the original metalled surface of the road. These features are likely to be Victorian or later in date and relate to estate management at Mavisbank. The features have been recorded and preserved in situ.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Historic Environment Scotland

Sofia K Black - CFA Archaeology Ltd

(Source: DES Vol 20)

References

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