Marchmont House - The Lanterns

Marchmont House is a Grade A-listed Scottish Palladian mansion built in 1750-1755 by Hugh Hume-Campbell, the 3rd Earl of Marchmont, under plans drawn up by William Adam and executed by Thomas Gibson. The interior is arguably one of the finest in Scotland, and the house retains many of its original features, including the magnificent George II period plasterwork by Thomas Clayton. It sits at the heart of the Marchmont Estate, to the east of the village of Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders, 19 miles west of Berwick-upon-Tweed and just 40 miles from Edinburgh.

Major changes were made between 1914 and 1917 when then owner Robert Finnie McEwen commissioned the eminent Scottish architect Sir Robert Lorimer to enlarge and modernise the house, and it stands today as perhaps the finest example of his grand house refurbishments.  Lorimer added a concrete mansard roof, replaced all floors except one holding the best of the plaster ceilings with concrete decks, and added many exceptional features exemplary of the Arts & Crafts movement. 

In the 1980s, the Sue Ryder Foundation bought the house from the McEwens, the owners of Marchmont, for conversion to a cancer care home.  The Foundation re-roofed it and upgraded services, but also stripped all but the principal floor to make wards and other functional spaces.   

NEW OWNERSHIP

In 1988, the wider Marchmont Estate, along with a right of pre-emption on Marchmont House, was purchased as an investment by Marchmont Farms Limited (MFL) of which Mr Oliver Burge was the managing director. 

The house, in the ownership of the Sue Ryder Foundation, eventually proved difficult to operate as a care home, closed in 2005, in a deteriorated state and was entered on the Register of Buildings at Risk. 

MFL exercised their pre-emption right to purchase the house in 2006 more-or-less watertight but in a semi-derelict state internally.

Oliver and his late son Hugo Burge, both directors of MFL, enlisted the help of specialist surveyors to manage a restoration project, set about preserving its historically significant features.  A team of 50 trades were engaged; the brief was to research and retain all features of historic or architectural significance, to appropriately replace what had been lost, and to improve energy-efficiency – all with fastidious attention to detail.  The project commenced in 2011 with the emphasis on local trades of which there was an abundance of talent.  Several phases of works including archive research, paint-scrapes, invasive surveys and research into other Adam and Lorimer houses.  

AWARDS

In 2018 Marchmont was awarded the Historic Houses Award, sponsored by Sotheby's, for its seven-year restoration, and the Georgian Group 2017 Architectural Award for best restoration of a Georgian interior. 

The house contains some of the finest Georgian interiors in Scotland, Lorimer's magnificent oak-panelled Music Room, exquisite original plasterwork, and an eclectic art and furniture collection spanning 550 years of art history.

FRD and Oliver Burge’s relationship was already long established by the time Oliver approached Francis to help on the Marchmont House restoration.  Having previously designed lighting and gates for his Dorset home, Oliver knew of FRD’s fastidious attention to detail in fine metalwork.  Walking in to Francis’ office one day he announced that MFL had “bought a ridiculous Scottish folly” and was interested in “replicating some ceiling lanterns designed by Robert Lorimer for the entrance hall and corridors”.

RESTORATION & RE-CREATION

With only four original lanterns remaining in the property; FRD were commissioned to reproduce eighteen replica lanterns. 

Francis recalls how re-creating the metalwork for the “Lorimer lanterns” was not the difficult part; it was the incredibly tricky curved, frosted and textured glass that proved to be more challenging. 

FRD prides itself on being “Designers & Makers”, and this encompasses all areas of metalwork, along with forming glass; so regardless of the challenges he faced Francis knew that it was possible to achieve - eventually. 

Fashioned from brass metal sheets and tubes using traditional methods; the pentagonal framework of the lanterns was formed and patinated to create a set of lanterns mirroring the original design.

It was whilst installing the “Lorimer Lanterns” that Oliver and Francis discussed working on additional pieces, namely a bespoke lantern for the saloon; an important reception room adorned with original George II period plasterwork ceiling and walls.

Without anything existing to replicate Francis took inspiration from another prominent Scottish house, Paxton House, one of the finest Palladian houses in Britain with pre-eminent collections of Chippendale furniture, Georgian costume and paintings from Scotland’s National Collection.  he designed a new lantern using traditional Georgian motifs and detailing.

The Georgian era was a golden age for craftsmanship and design; the Georgian’s were keen to include motifs wherever possible, with a sense of the theatrical and the elegant, epitomised in motifs such as the scroll, the acanthus leaf, florals and marine life, as well as musical instruments and cherubic figures. 

This unique lantern includes a goat’s head, beading and leaves - the laurel representing victory in Roman and Greek symbolism; while the acanthus represents continued life.

The result is a brass and glass lantern that hangs central to a beautifully restored state room.  Like a large piece of fine jewellery suspended; it is a true representation of FRD Designers & Makers respect for and knowledge of period design, attention to detail and the quality of their high-end bespoke metal work.