Auchincruive
Encyclopedia
Auchincruive is a former country house and estate in South Ayrshire
, Scotland
. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Ayr
, on the north bank of the River Ayr
. Auchincruive House was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier mansion. In 1927 the estate became the West of Scotland College of Agriculture, and the house was renamed Oswald Hall. The college became the Scottish Agricultural College
in 1990. In 2007 the college announced that the site would be disposed of for redevelopment, and masterplan proposals were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The house is protected as a category A listed building, along with other buildings on the estate. The estate itself is included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
, the national listing of significant gardens.
's map of 1750.
In 1758 the estate passed to James Murray of Broughton, who sold it to the merchant Richard Oswald, who built the present Auchincruive House. Robert Adam
provided a design for a house to James Murray in 1764, although Oswald built the house, in modified form, in 1767. Adam's scheme for the interiors was carried out as planned. Adam also designed Oswald's Temple, a castellated temple or tea-house, which stands on a nearby hill and was completed in 1778. Oswald was appointed as the British peace commissioner who negotiated the Treaty of Paris
in 1783 when the American War of Independence came to an end. After the negotiations, he retired to Auchincruive where he died the following year.
An east wing was later built on to the house, and alterations, including addition of the west wing, were made after the estate was inherited by George Oswald in 1819. In 1925 the estate was sold by the Oswalds to John Hannah, a local farmer, who bequeathed it in 1927 to the Secretary of State for Scotland
, for use as the West of Scotland Agricultural College. Over the next 50 years, the college erected a number of buildings within the grounds to cater for their educational and research requirements. Oswald Hall continued in use, but the temple deteriorated, and in 2003 it was included on the Buildings at Risk Register, its condition assessed as "very poor".
By 2007, the Scottish Agricultural College
, formed in 1990 from the merger of the West of Scotland College of Agriculture and other agricultural colleges, had decided to move its educational campus to a new site in Ayr. Plans to redevelop the core of the Auchincruive site as a research facility, while selling off the remaining part of the 246 hectares (607.9 acre) estate for housing and golf course development, were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The plans involve the restoration of listed buildings and historic landscape features, and construction of 400–500 houses and a business research campus. Oswald Hall would become a hotel and conference centre, with Oswald's Temple used as additional accommodation.
South Ayrshire
South Ayrshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. It borders onto East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Ayr
Ayr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
, on the north bank of the River Ayr
River Ayr
The River Ayr , longest river in what was the old county of Ayrshire of Scotland, is approximately 65 kilometres in length. It originates at Glenbuck Loch in East Ayrshire on the border of Lanarkshire and winds its way through East and South Ayrshire to the town of Ayr, where it empties into the...
. Auchincruive House was built in the 18th century on the site of an earlier mansion. In 1927 the estate became the West of Scotland College of Agriculture, and the house was renamed Oswald Hall. The college became the Scottish Agricultural College
Scottish Agricultural College
The Scottish Agricultural College exists to support the development of land-based industries and communities through Higher Education and training, specialist research and development and advisory and consultancy services....
in 1990. In 2007 the college announced that the site would be disposed of for redevelopment, and masterplan proposals were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The house is protected as a category A listed building, along with other buildings on the estate. The estate itself is included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a continually evolving list...
, the national listing of significant gardens.
History
The lands of Auchincuive passed from the Wallace family to the Cathcarts in 1374, although the first record of a house is in 1532, when a tower house stood on the site of the present building. The layout of the estate was formalised from 1723, to designs by William Boutcher, Sr. This included planting north and south of the river, as shown on General RoyWilliam Roy
Major-General William Roy FRS was a Scottish military engineer, surveyor, and antiquarian. He was an innovator who applied new scientific discoveries and newly emerging technologies to the accurate geodetic mapping of Great Britain....
's map of 1750.
In 1758 the estate passed to James Murray of Broughton, who sold it to the merchant Richard Oswald, who built the present Auchincruive House. Robert Adam
Robert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
provided a design for a house to James Murray in 1764, although Oswald built the house, in modified form, in 1767. Adam's scheme for the interiors was carried out as planned. Adam also designed Oswald's Temple, a castellated temple or tea-house, which stands on a nearby hill and was completed in 1778. Oswald was appointed as the British peace commissioner who negotiated the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on the one hand and the United States of America and its allies on the other. The other combatant nations, France, Spain and the Dutch Republic had separate agreements; for details of...
in 1783 when the American War of Independence came to an end. After the negotiations, he retired to Auchincruive where he died the following year.
An east wing was later built on to the house, and alterations, including addition of the west wing, were made after the estate was inherited by George Oswald in 1819. In 1925 the estate was sold by the Oswalds to John Hannah, a local farmer, who bequeathed it in 1927 to the Secretary of State for Scotland
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
, for use as the West of Scotland Agricultural College. Over the next 50 years, the college erected a number of buildings within the grounds to cater for their educational and research requirements. Oswald Hall continued in use, but the temple deteriorated, and in 2003 it was included on the Buildings at Risk Register, its condition assessed as "very poor".
By 2007, the Scottish Agricultural College
Scottish Agricultural College
The Scottish Agricultural College exists to support the development of land-based industries and communities through Higher Education and training, specialist research and development and advisory and consultancy services....
, formed in 1990 from the merger of the West of Scotland College of Agriculture and other agricultural colleges, had decided to move its educational campus to a new site in Ayr. Plans to redevelop the core of the Auchincruive site as a research facility, while selling off the remaining part of the 246 hectares (607.9 acre) estate for housing and golf course development, were approved by South Ayrshire Council in January 2011. The plans involve the restoration of listed buildings and historic landscape features, and construction of 400–500 houses and a business research campus. Oswald Hall would become a hotel and conference centre, with Oswald's Temple used as additional accommodation.