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New heating, wiring, and plumbing were installed, proving to be the costliest elements of the endeavor; experts were brought in to unearth intricate original painted decorations on the walls and ceilings and to repair the exceptional Rococo plasterwork. Humphries Weaving, a firm based in Suffolk, created vivid silk damasks—sapphire-blue for a drawing room, lemon-yellow for a parlor—and other fabrics, many of which were copied from documents surviving from the house’s earliest days. When a deal to sell the 2,000-acre property to the Scottish National Trust fell through, Lord Bute took the bold move of marketing it via an estate agency and hiring Christie’s to sell off its holdings. Experts at the auction house began documenting the contents of the mansion; a two-volume catalogue was produced, and sale dates were set for July 12 and 13, 2007. In 1743 William Crichton-Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries, resigned his army commission and retired to his Ayrshire Estate. He was made a member of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle in 1752, a very prestigious award granted directly by the Sovereign.
The Family Parlour
Through his UK-registered charity, Vardanyan raised a further £1.5m to refurbish one of the estate’s outbuildings to provide 16 luxury rooms that could be rented out to visitors. The structure has been renamed the Dilijan Building, after a school in Armenia sponsored by Vardanyan. A 10-year partnership was also created, with students from Dilijan attending regular courses at the estate, the Guardian reported at the time. With time running out it appeared that no individual or group would be able to come up with the required funds and the house and contents was literally on the point of being put up for auction. That was when Prince Charles, (the Duke of Rothesay to give him his Scottish title) stepped in, raising a loan for £20 million and attracting funding from numerous other sources. The house and estate are now owned and run by the Great Steward of Scotland’s (another of Prince Charles’ Scottish titles) Dumfries House Trust.
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On the death of the 6th Marquess of Bute in 1993, ownership of the house and estate passed to his son, the racing driver Johnny Dumfries. The family also owned Mount Stuart, a stately home on the island of Bute, and, with Dumfries House surplus to requirements, the family offered the property to the National Trust for Scotland in 2004. The stunning result is a unique collection of furnishings more important than the building itself.
Sale and tax history for 2827 Dumfries Rd
The water-based play park uses small water wheels, an Archimedes screw, and other techniques to teach the children about water as a power source. Invited by my guide to try out a see-saw, I was startled when a column of water shot into the air a few feet in front of me. The Prince is still very much the driving force behind the project and, in order to implement his vision, he enlisted the help of various sponsors who have also bought into the concept.
'The boss just loves nature': a tour of Dumfries House, King Charles's beloved Scottish project - The Telegraph
'The boss just loves nature': a tour of Dumfries House, King Charles's beloved Scottish project.
Posted: Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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Take a tour of Dumfries House
The estate also hosts a model working farm stocked with rare breeds and a traditional crafts skill center, teaching techniques such as drystone walling. Fashions were changing when the 5th Earl of Dumfries, William Crichton Dalrymple, inherited the estate in 1742. Whatever else might be said of the 5th Earl he seems to have had the ability to recognize genius in those who had yet to make their name in their chosen career. That talent saw him commission Robert and John Adam, who would later become major figures in the field of architecture, to design his new home for him. The foundation stone was laid in 1754 and the building, which cost the then substantial sum of £7,979, was completed five years later.
The Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden
If you proceed to make a booking you will leave our Website and visit a website owned and operated by a third party. VisitScotland does not have any control over the content or availability of any external website. A year after the build had begun, Lord Dumfries' wife, Lady Anne Gordon, died. He set out to furnish the house, drawing largely on the rococo style, with a vision of an elegant interior and spent considerable sums to realise his plan. In addition to a large commission from the talented Scottish wrights Alexander Peter, Francis Brodie and William Mathie, the Earl hand-picked the finest furniture from the workshop of Thomas Chippendale, thereby creating one of the most treasured interiors of the Scottish Enlightenment.
Worried that the armchairs might be damaged during the journey from London, Chippendale had them packed in wooden boxes and suggested to the Earl that he ‘order the Carriages to have such covering as will turn rain lest they show’d [should] meet it on the road’. Chippendale even sent one of his assistants, paid one guinea (£1.05) a week, to unpack and assemble the chairs and other furnishings, including the rosewood breakfront bookcase which is now one of the principal showpieces among the House’s priceless collection of Chippendale furniture. Although previous structures existed at the site, the house as we know it today was built in the 1750s for William Dalrymple, 5th Earl of Dumfries.
Dumfries House is part of The Prince's Foundation
Other highlights include the recently-restored 17th century dovecot and picturesque Chinese Bridge, a late 19th-century crossing of the Lugar Water. Dumfries House remained a private residence until 2007, when it was announced that the house would be sold and its contents auctioned off separately. This encouraged outcry from preservationists who wished to see the house kept in its entirety. Dumfries, exquisite and well looked after though it was, had not been lived in by the family for some 150 years, except for a near-40-year residency by the fifth marquess’s widow, from 1956 to 1993. Coach Parking is available in close proximity to the House by pre-booking only. Please follow brown tourist signs for coach access, which is off the A70 at The Dumfries House Lodge entrance.
Visitors can explore the beautiful setting with ancient trees, the Adam Bridge, river walks, a doo’cot and the wildlife. Exciting modern developments are also in progress supporting the social, educational and economical aspirations of the Dumfries House project. Dumfries House is one of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes and best kept heritage secrets.
Burning candle caused Dumfries house fire, fire marshal says - Yahoo News
Burning candle caused Dumfries house fire, fire marshal says.
Posted: Thu, 08 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Due to its age, much of the collection is very fragile and visitors can only walk on certain areas of the floor coverings and even the guides have to stand on small circles of reproduction carpet. That shouldn’t deter people from visiting as the interiors, furnished with numerous examples of Chippendale’s early work, are truly remarkable. Each public room is a treasure trove of lavish furnishings and visitors can only marvel at the sight of the collection of Chippendale’s work, complemented by items supplied by the three Scottish cabinet makers. In fact, Chippendale, the finest designer of his time, supplied many of the furnishings for Dumfries House.
The 2nd Marquess had spent his childhood at Dumfries House and nurtured the estate. His son, the 3rd Marquess, amongst his many passions was a great builder. The 4th Marquess, also working with Weir Schultz, continued to alter the house, creating for example, a stylish billiard room. In the 1930s he passed Dumfries House to his eldest son, the Earl of Dumfries and his young family.
The architects were Scottish brothers John and Robert Adam, who developed the 18th century ‘Adam style’ of neoclassical interior design, with their work including Edinburgh City Chambers and Hopetoun House in West Lothian. This 60 minute tour presents the highlights of the collection, including the Chippendale furniture, the history of the house and its owners. Fourteen years ago its previous owner, the Marquess of Bute, considered selling it with the Chippendale furniture set to be the centrepiece of the auction. The stately home in East Ayrshire was built in the 1750s by the neoclassical master architect Robert Adam and his brothers, and furnished by Thomas Chippendale. The house is regarded as the most complete 18th-century home in Britain at the height of early Georgian taste and luxury. Heritage experts have described it as “jaw-dropping”, “exquisite” and “an absolute jewel”.
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