Broughton House facts for kids
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| Established | 1734 |
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| Location | Kirkcudbright, scotland |
Broughton House is a cool old house in Kirkcudbright, Scotland. It was built way back in the 1700s! A famous Scottish artist named E. A. Hornel lived here from 1901 until he passed away in 1933. He made some awesome changes to the house and even created special gardens with a Japanese style. Today, Broughton House is like a living museum. It shows what Hornel's life and work were like. The National Trust for Scotland takes care of it, so everyone can visit and learn. This house is a very important historical building. Its gardens are also special and listed in a national inventory.
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The Story of Broughton House
This big house actually started as two smaller homes in 1734. They were located at numbers 10 and 12 High Street. In 1740, a man named Alexander Murray bought both houses. He was a local leader and a Member of Parliament. Murray then had the two houses joined together to make one large home. His family sold the house in 1756. After that, many different people owned it over the years. One owner was even the 5th Earl of Selkirk.
E. A. Hornel's Life at Broughton House
Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864–1933) grew up right here in Kirkcudbright. He became a well-known artist. He was part of a group called the Glasgow Boys. In the 1890s, Hornel traveled all the way to Japan. He spent over a year there. During his trip, he created about 30 paintings. These paintings were shown in Glasgow when he came back in 1895. The money he earned from selling these artworks helped him buy Broughton House. He paid £650 for it in 1901.
Hornel lived at Broughton House with his sister, Elizabeth. Everyone called her 'Tizzy'. They lived there for the rest of his life. Hornel asked his friend, John Keppie, to design a new art studio for the house. Keppie was an architect from Glasgow. In 1910, Keppie also designed a special gallery for the house. Hornel was a very successful artist. He kept traveling, especially to places in the Far East. He also loved collecting rare books.
Broughton House After Hornel
After Hornel died in 1933, his sister Elizabeth continued to live in the house. She stayed there until she passed away in 1950. Then, a group called The Broughton House Trust looked after the property. Later, it was given to the National Trust for Scotland. Hornel had a special wish in his will. He wanted his house to be "preserved as a public art gallery." This was meant to benefit the people of the Stewartry and anyone visiting the area.
Exploring the House and Gardens
The National Trust for Scotland keeps the house and everything inside it just as it was. It's like a museum showing Hornel's life and his art. Inside the house, you can see old furniture from that time. There are also many artworks by Hornel and other artists he knew.
Hornel's Amazing Library
The house has a huge library! Hornel collected about 15,000 books. That's a lot of reading! He had a special collection of 2,500 books by or about Robert Burns. Burns was a very famous Scottish poet. This is one of the biggest collections of Burns's work in the world. The library also holds Hornel's own personal collection. This includes old newspaper clippings, letters, and other interesting items.
The Artist's Studio and Gallery
You can also see Hornel's art studio. It looks just like it did when he was working there. It's cool to imagine him painting in that very spot! In the gallery, there's a special design called a frieze. It was made to look like the famous Elgin Marbles. These are ancient sculptures from the Parthenon in Greece.
Beautiful Gardens to Explore
The gardens at Broughton House are beautiful. They stretch out behind the house and go all the way to the River Dee. Hornel and his sister designed these gardens themselves. They cover about 2 acres. One part of the garden is a Japanese garden. It has rocks and a pond with stepping stones. Closer to the river, there are different garden beds. These are separated by neat box hedges. You can also find some old sundials in the garden. They are from the 1600s and 1700s. There are also carved stone gate posts from the late 1600s.
