Manderston facts for kids
Manderston House is a grand old house in Duns, Berwickshire, Scotland. It's the home of the Palmer family. This amazing house was completely rebuilt between 1901 and 1903. It has super fancy rooms, including a staircase covered in silver!
The owner at the time, Sir James Miller, 2nd Baronet, told his architect, John Kinross, not to worry about how much it would cost. He just wanted it to be perfect! Manderston House is considered a very important historical building. The beautiful gardens and land around it are also special.
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History of Manderston
Manderston was once owned by the powerful Hume family. You can even see their old tower house on a map from 1750! Later, the estate was briefly owned by the Swinton family, whose descendants include the famous actress Tilda Swinton.
The current large house at Manderston includes parts of an older house built around 1790. This older house was built for Dalhousie Watherston.
How the House Changed Over Time
The house built around c. 1790 was changed in 1870. Then, at the start of the 1900s, the architect John Kinross made huge changes to it. He also built other important buildings on the estate, like the stables, a boat house, and a gamekeeper's cottage. He even built a group of buildings at a place called Buxley on the north side of the estate.
Near the main house, there's a cricket pavilion. The Manderston cricket club started in 1899, making it one of Scotland's oldest! The pavilion was built around 1900 and was fixed up in 1999 for the club's 100th birthday.
The Palmer Family Connection
Sir James Miller, 2nd Baronet, who rebuilt Manderston, came from a wealthy family. His father, Sir William Miller, 1st Baronet, made a lot of money trading goods like herring and hemp in Russia. Sir William was even a British representative in Russia for a while and a Member of Parliament in the UK.
Sir James Miller married Eveline, whose family lived in the grand Kedleston Hall. It's said that Sir James wanted Manderston to be just as splendid as her family home. Sir James and Eveline did not have children. So, the estate went to his brother, John Alexander Miller. He also didn't have children, so the estate eventually passed to their sister, Amy Elizabeth Miller. She was the great-grandmother of the current owner, Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer.
Manderston House is also home to the world's largest collection of old Huntley & Palmers biscuit tins! Some of them date all the way back to 1868. You can visit the house on certain days to see it for yourself.
Manderston on Screen
Manderston House has been used as a filming location for several movies and TV shows. Its grand rooms and beautiful setting make it perfect for historical stories!
Some of the productions filmed here include:
- The House of Mirth (2000 film)
- The Edwardian Country House (a TV show from 2002)
- Man to Man
- First Night (2010)
- The Awakening (2011)
- Secrets of the Manor House (2012)
See also
