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Manderston

Although the present house of Manderston dates to the early 20th century and incorporates a Georgian mansion, it is built on the site of an old tower house.

By the 1240s the lands of Manderston were held by the Papedy or Pepdie family for the Earls of Dunbar. They are thought to have moved north from Islandshire in Northumberland and also held Dunglass by this time. Some time before 1247 Patrick, Earl of Dunbar, confirmed a grant of Manderston by Stephen Papedy to his brother, Thomas Papedy.

During the 14th century Nicola Pepdie, the heiress of Dunglass, married Sir Thomas Home of Home and it may be at this time that Manderston also passed to the Home family. Their second son, David, was granted the lands of Wedderburn in 1413 by Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, and from him the Homes of Manderston traced their ancestry.

Whether it was the Papedys or Homes who were responsible for building the first castle or tower at Manderston is not clear and neither is the form it took. The site occupies the southern end of a slight plateau amongst gently rolling countryside bounded to the west by Duns Law, to the north by the Whiteadder Water and to the south by the Blackadder Water. Immediately to the south of the house the land falls away steeply to an artificial pond created, possibly in the late 18th century, by damming Bells Burn which ran north-east past Edrom to join the Whiteadder.

Manderston

In 1490 James IV confirmed the lands of Manderston amongst others to Alexander Home, 3rd Lord Home and Lord High Chamberlain of Scotland, and incorporated them into the barony of Home. Following Lord Home’s forfeiture James V granted half of the lands to Philip Nisbet of Nisbet and half to David Home of Wedderburn in 1517.

Manderston

A description of the province of the Merche. The Mers.
Robert Gordon, c.1636-52image courtesy of NLS

Manderston

Merce or Shirrefdome of Berwick
Joan Blaeu, Amsterdam, 1654image courtesy of NLS

Alexander Home, de jure 5th Earl of Dunbar, who died in 1720 seems to have been the last Home to own Manderston and it had passed to the Swinton family of nearby Kimmerghame by the mid-18th century.

Manderston

The Shire of Berwick alias the Mers or March and Lauderdale
Herman Moll, London, 1745map image courtesy of NLS

Around 1790 a new house was built for Dalhousie Watherston, which may have entirely replaced or incorporated the old tower house. Further work was carried out in 1870. Between 1901 and 1903 the then owner, Sir James Miller, 2nd Bt., commissioned the architect John Kinross to completely rebuild the house at any expense, whose family had made their fortune selling hemp and herring to Russia.

Manderston

Manderston

In 1950 Colonel Sir Gordon Palmer, later chairman of Huntley and Palmers Foods, married Lorna Bailie, daughter of Major Hugh Bailie who had inherited Manderston, and Manderston passed to the Palmer family. The current owner is Adrian Palmer, 4th Baron Palmer.

Manderston

Manderston

Manderston

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Alternative names for Manderston

Manderston House; Manderstoun; Manderstoune; Mandredistown; Mannderstoun

Clans associated with Manderston

Home

Surnames associated with Manderston

Home

Swinton

Where is Manderston?

Manderston is in the parish of Duns and the county of Berwickshire.

Grid reference: NT 81075 54377

Lat / long: 55.782336, -2.3033083

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Manderston

OS map 346
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Eyemouth, Duns, St Abb’s Head & Cockburnspath)
OS Explorer map 346


Directions to Manderston

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Weather at Manderston

21°C
max 21°C / min 19°C
28km/h SW
1018mb
56%
82%
03:24 20:54

Broken clouds
Weather observed at Duns at 16:47

References (books)

The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015
The Register of the Great Seal of Scotland A.D. 1424-1513
James Balfour Paul
Edinburgh, 1882

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Garden and Designed Landscape record
Canmore
Wikipedia
Historic Houses Association
Manderston

Castles near Manderston

Wedderburn Castle

1.5km away

Kelloe Bastle (site of)

1.7km away

Mungo's Walls (site of)

2.2km away

Broom House (site of)

2.4km away

Cumledge (site of)

2.8km away

Blanerne Castle

2.9km away

Kimmerghame (site of)

3.0km away

East Preston (site of)

3.2km away

Duns Castle

3.3km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Manderston

Broomhouse Mains souterrain

2.0km away

Duns Law fort

2.6km away

Cockburn Law fort

7.0km away

Edin's Hall broch and fort

7.1km away

Castle Dikes fort

11.9km away

Aytonlaw fort

12.0km away

The Chesters fort

13.2km away

Bruntaburn Mill standing stone

21.7km away

Cambridge standing stone

23.4km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Manderston

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

54.7km away

The Coves, Caiplie Class I symbols

55.6km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

56.9km away

Abercrombie 2 Class III cross slab

56.9km away

Abercrombie 3 Class III cross slab

56.9km away

Abercrombie 4 Class III cross slab

56.9km away

Crail Class III cross-slab

57.1km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

58.4km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

58.4km away
more Pictish stones....

Pictish sites near Manderston

Hoardweel silver chain

6.0km away

Traprain Law silver chain

30.6km away

Whitlaw silver chain

31.8km away

Haddington silver chain

35.2km away

Norrie's Law hoard

66.5km away

Borland silver chain

75.1km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

77.4km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

105.1km away

Dunnicaer fort

130.3km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Manderston

Groom's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
1.5km away
Keeper's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
1.5km away
West Lodge, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
2.1km away
Garden Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
2.1km away
Bank House, Duns
self-catering apartmentDuns
2.5km away
Pavilion Lodge, Duns Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
3.0km away
Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
5.5km away
The Wheatsheaf Restaurant With Rooms
hotelSwinton
7.3km away
The Craw Inn
hotelReston
7.6km away
SlowSheep@theLazyFox
bed and breakfastFoulden
11.2km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Manderston

Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
5.5km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
14.2km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
15.0km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
22.0km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
22.4km away
Smeaton Nursery Gardens & Tearoom
caféEast Linton
32.5km away
George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
33.2km away
Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barNorth Berwick
41.2km away
Baxters Selkirk
caféSelkirk
41.6km away
Selkirk Deli
caféSelkirk
42.6km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 8th of April 2012 at 6:31 pm. Updated on the 24th of June 2019 at 2:51 pm.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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