History

History & Background

From 1881 until the First World War, Amisfield House was rented out. During the War the House was requisitioned, and provided accommodation for the Lothian and Border Horse regiment. Afterwards, the interior of the House was dismantled and became derelict. In 1923 it was sold to a local builder, who demolished it and used the stone for school, hospital and house building locally.

Amisfield Park became an army camp during the Second World War, housing the Sherwood Foresters and a unit of Polish forces. It was later used as a prisoner-of-war camp and a camp for displaced Ukrainian prisoners. The Walled Garden was ploughed up for potatoes.

The Walled Garden was ploughed up for potatoes during the Second World War.

During the First World War the House was requisitioned, and provided accommodation for the Lothian and Border Horse regiment.

An early map showing Amisfield House coloured pink with the adjacent stable block and the walled garden beyond.

Amisfield Park once formed the policies of Amisfield House, a Palladian mansion designed by Isaac Ware for Francis Charteris, 7th Earl of Wemyss dating from the 1750s. The house, which was demolished in 1928, has been described as the most important building of the orthodox Palladian school in Scotland. The only buildings of the former estate that remain are the walled garden, the ruined stables, gate piers with ruined lodges, a gothic folly, and the rococo summer house.

In 1969, Amisfield Park was sold by the Earl of Wemyss to Haddington Town Council, who leased the grounds to Haddington Golf Course.

The walled garden became a Council tree nursery in 1980 but due to changes in local government management the Council was unable to use it effectively and it was abandoned.The trees, however, remained and continued to grow.

In 1999 two bodies were formed to look after the interests of the walled garden - the Friends of Amisfield, and the Amisfield Preservation Trust. In March 2007 the two bodies were combined into a single organisation. The Trust is responsible for major fund-raising for the restoration and development of the garden and is the holder of the lease from the Council under which it operates. The Trust is responsible for the management of the garden and promoting awareness of it amongst the local community, actively seeking new volunteers and community support.

Satellite views of the garden: Left c2004 giving an idea of the density of the trees at that time. Right 2010 after more than 400 trees were felled, the ground cleared and the original paths reinstated.

What were once seedlings had become

closely packed mature trees that had to be cut down and the roots dug out before the garden could be restored.