Dumfries House

On our way back from Aberdeen we opted for a couple of days near the Lake district and visited Dumfries House (an hour North of the town). We undertook a tour of the house but as is increasingly the ‘norm’ photos were not allowed.

It is an extraordinary JIT (just in time) story. The house was up for sale for £45M but a group (including Council) had only raised some £25M. The dilemma was raised with Prince Charles and in three weeks he brought together additional resources. Meanwhile the sellers (thinking the sale would not proceed) arranged to sell whatever they could including sending a large amount of unique Chippendale furniture to London for auctioning at Sothebys. The truck was on the M6 when the driver was called to turn around. The result speaks for itself. 10% of the worlds Chippendale originals are now on display for all to see.

Examples are in every room. One unusual aspect that Charles had requested was no roped off areas. Visitors are asked to walk on strips of matching carpet which overlay the original. Clever crowd control. 

A key driver for Charles was supporting young people to develop skills. The tree house playground was a great example and was a drawcard despite mediocre weather. (I had to wait quite a while to get this person free shot.)

An exception (where contractors were used) is the Chinese bridge. The original design dates back to the 1800s but was never built. Changing the design to meet current standards was a challenge but the bridge was opened one day earlier than planned in 2017.

Past the bridge are the gardens and they are beautifully laid out including some fun use of old pots. The summer house was a winning design from the Princes foundation design week competition. It was built by trainees learning new trades and included some older construction techniques.

Initially we were dismayed that quite a few vegetables appeared to be past their use by date but were assured that even plants in seed were given to the chickens so nothing goes to waste.

The rose gardens were a recent development opened in 2023.

The whole design enables a slow climb up the gardens to yet another pavilion where the layout can start to be appreciated.

In short a good reason for a stop over if you are passing the lake district. Even if the weather is inclement the café is worth a visit as tables are in the stables.  That in itself is an interesting experience.