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Summary

Description

Circa 1764. Near rectangular plan walled garden. Random sandstone rubble with rubble coping to S; flat coping to remainder. Lean to brick and rubble potting sheds to exterior of N wall. Greenhouses to interior of N wall; much glass missing from greenhouse to W; glass of greenhouse to E replaced by corrugated plastic. Round arched gateway flanking greenhouses to E; early 20th century decorative ironwork gate; stugged ashlar lintel, to exterior elevation, surmounted by carved thistle datestone reading "1612"; interior elevation flanking pier walls: early 19th century; 5 vertically arranged nail head stones surmounted by carved Doric pilaster capitals with fluted and reeded pilaster tops, flanked by carved strapwork panels supporting carved masks of elephant and lion and stone urns; carved strapwork lintel with central fleur-de-lys surmounted by auricular mask. Gateway to W of N wall with earlier 19th century ironwork gate bearing the initials "RDMS"; bowed lintel with geometrically carved corner stones to exterior elevation. Gateway to centre of W wall with early 20th century ironwork gate; broached, square plan, coped gatepiers with spherical finials. Gateway to S of W wall with boarded timber gate; droved, coped, square plan gatepiers. Gateway to N of E wall: early 19th century elaborate ironwork gate including "ED" (Elizabeth Dundas) surmounted by fleur-de-lys; gatepiers swept down from walls and stepped out at base; long and short dressings; surmounted by rectangular plinths originally supporting stone urns; marble plaque dated 1916 for Colin MacTaggart to exterior. Rubble potting sheds to E of interior S wall; boarded timber door and irregular fenestration to flat roofed shed to left; shed to right blank; flanked by timber shelter. 2 20th century span glasshouses opposite potting sheds with brick walls.

LOGGIA: early 19th century, polished sandstone loggia to interior of NE corner of walled garden; 4 Doric columns supporting entablature with central segmental pediment enclosing royal cipher and flanked by carved masks; carved panels to interior, 2 thistles and one rose

Statement of Special Interest

Although the garden, which was possibly by John Adam, was begun about 1764, replacing William Adam's cascade, its present form owes a great deal to Lord Chief Baron Robert Dundas (1758 1819). Much of the gatepiers to the E of the N wall (excluding the elephant and lion carvings which represent the union of the Dundas and Oliphant families through marriage), and the semi circular pediment of the loggia (which bears the monogram of Charles I), possibly originated on Parliament House, Edinburgh, which was re faced by Robert Reid in 1803. The Lord Chief Baron brought cartloads of architectural fragments from Parliament house, were they "were treated as mere rubbish" (Arniston Memoirs p 297), to Arniston where they were incorporated into picturesque structures in the walled and sunken gardens (see Borthwick Parish separate listings). Other fragments were acquired by famous writer and antiquarian Walter Scott for his house at Abbotsford. The gateway to the E of the N wall was remodelled in the early 29th century when a round headed arch was installed, and the iron gates of 1825 replaced with wrought iron gates. The monogram on the gate to the W of the N wall possibly reads "RD MS", if this is the case it could commemorate the marriage of Robert Dundas (1650-1726) to Margaret Sinclair. While the initials "ED" on the gate on the E wall stand for Elizabeth Dundas, who married the Lord Chief Baron. Both the gates were originally ornamented with stone urns which have since been stolen. The walled garden became a market garden after World War 2, and is in use as such today.

References

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