Winton House
Encyclopedia
Winton House is a historic house set in a large estate between Pencaitland
and Tranent
in East Lothian
, Scotland. The house is situated off the B6355 road approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north of Pencaitland at
family were granted lands in East Lothian, including Winton, by King David I of Scotland
in 1150. In the ensuing years the estate has passed through the hands of several eminent families. The origins of the house date from 1480 when George, 4th Lord Seton, commenced the building of Wintoun Castle, a tower standing 4 stories high, surrounded by a defensive curtain wall
. During the War of the Rough Wooing in 1544, Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford
, all but destroyed Wintoun Castle after bombardment and burning.
In 1600, the family were granted the Earldom of Winton
and the 1st Earl
immediately set about restoration of the castle, although work ceased upon his death in 1603. His son Robert, the 2nd Earl
, resigned the title which passed to his younger brother George
. George commissioned William Wallace
, master-mason to the king, to oversee the completion of the restoration in 1620. The completed house was more palatial than defensive, in keeping with a new confidence after the turbulent 16th century. Prince Charles, the future King Charles I
of Scotland and England, was said to have visited Winton House, having been tutored by Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
who resided at nearby Pinkie House
. Charles' son, King Charles II
also visited the house.
In 1715, when George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton
was captured at the Battle of Preston
, during the First Jacobite Rebellion. His and his family's support of the exiled House of Stuart
led to the Earl's imprisonment in the Tower of London
, and his assets, titles and lands were confiscated. The York Buildings Company
took over the Seton lands. In September 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart
requistioned Winton, to garrison his troops during the next Jacobite Rebellion in 1745
, in the name of the Earl of Winton. The Jacobites wer victorious at the nearby Battle of Prestonpans
, fought on 21 September.
. As well as extensive building work on the house, Colonel Hamilton also planted extensively on the estate. Patterson's new neo-Gothic
work can still be seen at Winton. The house passed down through females until, in 1846, it came in to the hands of Mary, Lady Ruthven, who did much for the village of Pencaitland, including building a new school. She also built a new hamlet, New Winton, to house the estate workers as their houses on the estate were becoming unfit for human habitation. She also carried out many improvements to house and estate. In 1885, the house was passed to Lady Ruthven's cousin, Constance Nisbet Hamilton. Constance married Henry Ogilvy of Inverquarity
in 1888. On her death in 1920, Winton House passed to Henry's nephew Gilbert Ogilvy, an architect. Henry, the new Laird
of Winton, did much to improve the estate. He removed the Regency
extension on the east wing, bridged the 19th-century north castellated lodges, and built the laundry house. He also carried out major work on the land, cutting and ploughing before planting hundreds of new trees. Sir Gilbert Ogilvy died in 1956, the estate passing to his son David, who like his forebears, did much, with his wife Penelope, to improve Winton House and estate. Sir David died in 1992 and Winton passed to his son, Sir Francis Ogilvy, 14th Baronet of Inverquarity
, and his wife Dorothy. The loch in front of the house was named in remembrance of Sir David.
The house is now an award-winning corporate hospitality, conference centre, meeting venue and team building activity centre. The house has won the World Travel Castle award three times and has a gold Green Business Tourism Scheme award for its environmental approach. Guests can also stay overnight in the rooms in the House or in the luxury, self-catering country houses on the estate.
.
Pencaitland
Pencaitland is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, about south-east of Edinburgh, south-west of Haddington, and east of Ormiston.The land where the village lies is said to have been granted by William the Lion to Calum Cormack in 1169, who gave the church, with the tithes and other property...
and Tranent
Tranent
Tranent is a town in East Lothian, Scotland. It is close to the A1 road and approximately east of Edinburgh. It is one of the oldest towns in East Lothian, and built on a gentle slope, about 300 feet above sea level.Population of the town is 9,917....
in East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
, Scotland. The house is situated off the B6355 road approximately 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) north of Pencaitland at
History
The SetonSeton (surname)
Seton is the surname of a prominent Scottish Lowlands family, and may refer to:Hereditary Titles:* The Baronet of Olivestob* The Baronet of Windygoul* The Baronets of Abercorn* The Baronets of Garleton* The Baronets of Pitmedden* The Lords Seton...
family were granted lands in East Lothian, including Winton, by King David I of Scotland
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
in 1150. In the ensuing years the estate has passed through the hands of several eminent families. The origins of the house date from 1480 when George, 4th Lord Seton, commenced the building of Wintoun Castle, a tower standing 4 stories high, surrounded by a defensive curtain wall
Curtain wall (fortification)
A curtain wall is a defensive wall between two bastions of a castle or fortress.In earlier designs of castle the curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult....
. During the War of the Rough Wooing in 1544, Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
, all but destroyed Wintoun Castle after bombardment and burning.
In 1600, the family were granted the Earldom of Winton
Earl of Winton
The title Earl of Winton was once created in the Peerage of Scotland, and again the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It is presently held by the Earl of Eglinton....
and the 1st Earl
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton
Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton was one of the Scottish peers who supported Mary, Queen of Scots.-Early years:The son of George Seton, 7th Lord Seton, Robert Seton grew up active in the affairs of his father and of the State. He was educated early in France, and accompanied his father during his...
immediately set about restoration of the castle, although work ceased upon his death in 1603. His son Robert, the 2nd Earl
Robert Seton, 2nd Earl of Winton
Robert Seton, 2nd Earl of Winton and 9th Lord Seton was a Scottish Peer.He succeeded his father Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton in March, 1603...
, resigned the title which passed to his younger brother George
George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton
George Seton, 3rd Earl of Winton was a notable Royalist and Cavalier, the second son of Robert Seton, 1st Earl of Winton and 6th Lord Seton, by his spouse Margaret, daughter of Hugh Montgomerie, 3rd Earl of Eglinton....
. George commissioned William Wallace
William Wallace (mason)
William Wallace was a Scottish master mason and architect. He served as King's Master Mason under James VI.From 1615, Wallace is known to have been the leading mason working on the King's Lodgings at Edinburgh Castle. On 18 April 1617 he was appointed King's Master Mason, holding this post until...
, master-mason to the king, to oversee the completion of the restoration in 1620. The completed house was more palatial than defensive, in keeping with a new confidence after the turbulent 16th century. Prince Charles, the future King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
of Scotland and England, was said to have visited Winton House, having been tutored by Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline
Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline was a Scottish lawyer, judge and politician. He was Lord President of the Court of Session from 1598 to 1604 and Lord Chancellor of Scotland from 1604 to 1622....
who resided at nearby Pinkie House
Pinkie House
Pinkie House is a historic house, built around a three-storey tower house located in Musselburgh, in East Lothian, Scotland. The house dates back to the sixteenth century, although it was substantially enlarged in the early 17th century, and has been altered several times since. Its location at...
. Charles' son, King Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
also visited the house.
In 1715, when George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton
George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton
George Seton, 5th Earl of Winton was a Scottish nobleman who took part in the 1715 Jacobite Rising supporting "The Old Pretender" James Stuart, was captured by the English, tried and sentenced to death, but who escaped and lived the rest of his in exile.-Early life:Seton was originally brought up...
was captured at the Battle of Preston
Battle of Preston (1715)
The Battle of Preston , also referred to as the Preston Fight, was fought during the Jacobite Rising of 1715 ....
, during the First Jacobite Rebellion. His and his family's support of the exiled House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
led to the Earl's imprisonment in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, and his assets, titles and lands were confiscated. The York Buildings Company
York Buildings Company
The York Buildings Company was an English company in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.-Waterworks:The full name of the company was The Governor and Company for raising the Thames Water at York Buildings...
took over the Seton lands. In September 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart
Prince Charles Edward Louis John Casimir Sylvester Severino Maria Stuart commonly known as Bonnie Prince Charlie or The Young Pretender was the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of Great Britain , and Ireland...
requistioned Winton, to garrison his troops during the next Jacobite Rebellion in 1745
Jacobite Rising of 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745, often referred to as "The 'Forty-Five," was the attempt by Charles Edward Stuart to regain the British throne for the exiled House of Stuart. The rising occurred during the War of the Austrian Succession when most of the British Army was on the European continent...
, in the name of the Earl of Winton. The Jacobites wer victorious at the nearby Battle of Prestonpans
Battle of Prestonpans
The Battle of Prestonpans was the first significant conflict in the Jacobite Rising of 1745. The battle took place at 4 am on 21 September 1745. The Jacobite army loyal to James Francis Edward Stuart and led by his son Charles Edward Stuart defeated the government army loyal to the Hanoverian...
, fought on 21 September.
A new era
In 1779, Mrs Hamilton Nisbet of Pencaitland bought the house and estate at Winton. On her death in 1797, the lands were passed to her son Colonel John Hamilton and it was he who further improved the house by employing architect John PattersonJohn Patterson (architect)
John Patterson was a Scottish architect who trained with Robert Adam whom he assisted with his work on Edinburgh University Old College.Patterson's own works include:*Monzie Castle 1785-1790*Barmoor Castle c. 1801*Pinkie House 1800...
. As well as extensive building work on the house, Colonel Hamilton also planted extensively on the estate. Patterson's new neo-Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
work can still be seen at Winton. The house passed down through females until, in 1846, it came in to the hands of Mary, Lady Ruthven, who did much for the village of Pencaitland, including building a new school. She also built a new hamlet, New Winton, to house the estate workers as their houses on the estate were becoming unfit for human habitation. She also carried out many improvements to house and estate. In 1885, the house was passed to Lady Ruthven's cousin, Constance Nisbet Hamilton. Constance married Henry Ogilvy of Inverquarity
Inverquharity Castle
Inverquharity Castle is a 15th-century tower house in Angus, Scotland. It lies around north-east of Kirriemuir, on the south bank of the River North Esk....
in 1888. On her death in 1920, Winton House passed to Henry's nephew Gilbert Ogilvy, an architect. Henry, the new Laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
of Winton, did much to improve the estate. He removed the Regency
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
extension on the east wing, bridged the 19th-century north castellated lodges, and built the laundry house. He also carried out major work on the land, cutting and ploughing before planting hundreds of new trees. Sir Gilbert Ogilvy died in 1956, the estate passing to his son David, who like his forebears, did much, with his wife Penelope, to improve Winton House and estate. Sir David died in 1992 and Winton passed to his son, Sir Francis Ogilvy, 14th Baronet of Inverquarity
Ogilvy Baronets
There have been three Baronetcies created for members of the Ogilvy family, all in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. As of 2008 one creation is extant while two are either extinct or dormant....
, and his wife Dorothy. The loch in front of the house was named in remembrance of Sir David.
Today
Winton House is considered a masterpiece of Scottish Renaissance architecture. It contains ornate and intricate plaster ceilings, fine furniture, family treasures and many paintings by notable Scottish painters. Winton House is a category A listed building.The house is now an award-winning corporate hospitality, conference centre, meeting venue and team building activity centre. The house has won the World Travel Castle award three times and has a gold Green Business Tourism Scheme award for its environmental approach. Guests can also stay overnight in the rooms in the House or in the luxury, self-catering country houses on the estate.
Gardens
The gardens are terraced to the banks of St. David's Loch and up to the walled garden. There are several routed walkways, open to the public, passing through the estate woodlands and along the banks of the Tyne WaterRiver Tyne, Scotland
The River Tyne is a river in Scotland, UK. It rises in the Moorfoot Hills in Midlothian near Tynehead to the south of Edinburgh, at the junction of the B6458 and the B6367. It continues for approx...
.