There is a very exciting and colourful history attached to Newbattle Abbey. The house has witnessed many changes down the centuries.
A disastrous fire in 1770 destroyed many paintings and books. Steps were then taken to remodel the house. According to the Lothian family papers, renovations cost the 4th Marquess of Lothian a staggering £4,779.2.10!
In 1830, the 7th Marquess of Lothian approached William Burn for ideas and designs to extend the house. These designs were to begin Newbattle’s transformation into the way it looks today. Throughout the 19th century, many changes were carried out. William Burn’s work began in 1836 and included the addition of a storey and a servants’ wing.
In the 1860s, David Bryce added a new family wing, which was followed by extra accommodation, including a new boudoir for Lady Lothian. During the 1870s, while alterations were being made to the porch and staircase, workmen discovered an underground crypt which had long been buried and lost. The medieval crypt was excavated and Bryce redesigned the staircase.
The Drawing room ceiling
Thomas Bonnar transformed the drawing room, making it one of the most magnificent in Scotland. The ceiling took two years tocomplete and is broken into panels of ribbon-like borders. On the cloud-like background are cupids, shields and flowers.
Records tell us that in 1722 a Newbattle mason, Alex Veitch, was commissioned to enlarge the windows in the Drawing Room when it was known as the Great Hall. His charge for building and sloping them was the sum of £9.7.10/-. Apparently, this price was based on 82 days labour by workmen and 120 by masons!
The Chapel The 9th Marquess of Lothian commissioned the building of a small family chapel in the crypt. Excavations revealed a great chimney with an oven on one side. This is thought to have been the Abbey kitchen and Warming Room. The Chapel’s first formal use was for the funeral of the 9th Marquess in 1900. |
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Chapel Alter |
Chapel Floor |
The Font |
Mediaeval tiles were also dug up during excavation work. The pattern on the floor is a replica of the design on the tiles. John Ramsay, Clerk of Works to the 9th Marquess, made and laid the flooring from trees on the estate: yew, oak, maple, laburnum, walnut, elm, larch and pear. The floor took two years to complete and incorporates 13,226 pieces of wood. The font may have been used to baptise Mary, Queen of Scots, at Linlithgow Palace in 1542. The engravings are of people related to Mary and her time. They include: the Royal Arms of Scotland; Marie of Guise, second wife of James V, and mother of Mary, and James Haswell, Abbot of Newbattle at the time of Mary’s baptism. The font was dug up in the grounds of nearby Mavisbank House in 1873. |
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More Interesting features in the Main House:
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Crypt fireplace |
Vaulted ceiling detail in 19th century extension |
Wood carving detail in the Library |
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View of tiles surrounding fireplace in the Dining Room. These were designed by William Morrison. |
The Fireplace in Drawing Room |
The Atmospheric Crypt |
Early 19th century view of Newbattle Abbey house and grounds |