Description

The monument consists of the remains of a 16th century laird's house.

Auldhame is situated on a cliff-top position on the North Berwick coast, overlooking Seacliff Harbour. The remains consist of the main block, measuring 18m N-S by 9m E-W, and the remains of a fragmentary courtyard wall running SW from the SW corner of the house which contains an entrance gateway with a classical pediment. The masonry is composed of random-rubble with sandstone dressings. The E wall has two projecting rectangular towers and turrets corbelled out in the northern re-entrant angles.

The house would have had three storeys at least. Part of the basement was barrel vaulted. In the SE turret are the remains of a newel staircase. The area to be scheduled is rectangular and measures a maximum of 30m NNW-SSE by 25m ENE-WSW as marked in red on the accompanying map.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance because it is an example of late Medieval domestic architecture, built in what we would later characterise as the 'Baronial Style' peculiar to Scotland, although susceptible to widespread European influences. Auldhame retains original architectural features shared by a shrinking group of survivors. Although fragile, it provides evidence for and has the potential to provide further evidence, through a combination of historical research and archaeological excavation, which is likely to contribute to our knowledge of building design and construction history, social organisation and material culture in lowland Scotland during the later Middle Ages.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NT68SW 1.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland