Open tomorrow Sat 28th b10-4pm and Sunday 29th 1-4pm.
Restoration here is a work in progress. Unlike the majority of large walled gardens in East Lothian, which seem to be too often unloved, even abandoned or given over to other uses, this example is being managed by a local group, the Amisfield Preservation Trust, with a number of laudable objectives in mind.
The Wemyss family sold the park to Haddington Town Council in 1969 and parts of the grounds were used to develop housing and a water treatment works. Although the glasshouses are long gone and the corner temples (very grand store rooms) open roofed, the site is packed with features of outstanding interest, inside and outside, including signs of the historic plantings which survive the regimen of golf course management, a “ha ha” ditch, several follies perfect for foolish summer liaisons, a stable block (a building at risk) and the characteristic perimeter walls.
