Clan Rising
Blackadder House today

Scotland · Demolished

Blackadder House

Blackadder House was a 19th-century stately house on the Blackadder estate near Allanton in Berwickshire, built on the site of an earlier castle and remodelled and extended in the mid-1800s. The house was requisitioned during World War I, vandalised, and demolished around 1925; several estate outbuildings and garden features survive today.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

Its prime

1853

Today

Demolished

As it stood in 1853

What Blackadder House looked like in its prime.

A large mid-19th-century Palladian-derived mansion of pale ashlar stone with an asymmetrical multi-storey massing: rectangular main block with projecting bays and a later wing, numerous tall chimneys, a low parapet or balustraded roofline, and terraced balustraded lawns stepping down the slope. A Gothic cast-iron conservatory resembling a small chapel adjoined one side. The house sat on a wooded cliff above the river, with arched lower loggia openings at the terrace level and extensive shrubberies in the surrounding park.

Its story

The story of Blackadder House.

Blackadder House stood on the site of the earlier Blackadder Castle near Allanton in Berwickshire. The Blackadder family were an integral part of the constant Borders feuds, extending their lands through grants from James II as reward for repelling English raids. In 1482 the Duke of Gloucester, the future Richard III, came to Blackadder, and his ally the Duke of Albany ordered the 'great house and tower' destroyed.

In 1518 the estate was taken into the family of Home by the forced marriage of Beatrix and her younger sister, their father Robert's only heirs, to younger sons of Home of Wedderburn, a possession disputed for years by their Blackadder cousins of Tulliallan. Margaret Tudor had come to Blackadder in September 1515 on her escape to England. The Homes held the estate until 1836, when it was acquired by the Houston family, later Houston-Boswalls.

The 19th-century house, remodelled and extended in the mid-1800s and once described as 'The Home of the Stately Home', was requisitioned in the First World War and vandalised by troops. With no money for repairs it was demolished around 1925; estate outbuildings and garden features survive.

Step inside

9 places to explore in 1853.

The record describes 9 distinct spots at Blackadder House, including 1 interior: main stair hall and grand staircase. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more rooms, more angles, and more of the place to stand in.

Approach from the front lawn / parklandBalustraded terrace and arched lower loggiaGothic conservatory (cast-iron chapel form)Main stair hall and grand staircaseFolly walkway and cliff balustrade above the riverRiverside power house (estate power house)Stable range with tower and obelisk steepleWalled garden and summerhouseAllanbank Courtyard (U-planned steading)

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Whose castle

Clans who held Blackadder House.

The families that held Blackadder House for a decade or more across its history, follow a name to its clan.

  • Blackadder

    Held by the Blackadder family, their lands extended by grants from James II, until 1518.

  • Home

    Held by the Homes of Wedderburn from the forced marriages of 1518 until 1836.

  • Houston

    Acquired by the Houston family, later Houston-Boswalls, in 1836.

Questions about Blackadder House

What is the history of Blackadder House?

Blackadder House dates from the 19th century, standing on the site of the earlier Blackadder Castle near Allanton in Berwickshire. The Blackadder family held the estate until 1518, when it passed to the Homes of Wedderburn through forced marriages. The Houston family acquired it in 1836, and the house was requisitioned during the First World War before being demolished around 1925.

What is inside Blackadder House / what can you see in it?

The documented interior of Blackadder House included a main stair hall and grand staircase. During the First World War, troops vandalised the building and used parts of the grand staircase bannisters for firewood. The house was later demolished, so these interior spaces do not survive as part of a standing building.

Where is Blackadder House?

Blackadder House was near Allanton in Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders. The estate stood above the river Blackadder, and the former house site is associated with woodland, a cliff walkway and surviving estate buildings. Allanton's main street still has lodges that defined the entrance to the former house.

When was Blackadder House built?

Blackadder House was built in the 19th century, with major remodelling and extension in the mid-1800s. Robert Adam's plans for rebuilding and remodelling were carried out, and John Lessels extended the house in 1853 with a large asymmetrical wing and balustraded terraces. The site's recorded prime year is 1853, while its first-raised year is not recorded.

Was Blackadder House ever attacked or besieged?

Blackadder House was attacked during the invasion of Scotland in 1482, when the Duke of Gloucester came to Blackadder Castle and the Duke of Albany ordered its “great house and tower” destroyed. In 1518 the Homes of Wedderburn obtained possession of the fortress after the garrison refused to surrender, and the Blackadder family heirs were compelled into marriage. The material does not state the length of either assault.

Which family or clan held Blackadder House?

The Blackadder family held Blackadder House and its estate until 1518, with their lands extended by grants from James II as a reward for repelling English raids. The Homes of Wedderburn held it from 1518 until 1836. The Houston family, later Houston-Boswalls, acquired the estate in 1836.

What did Blackadder House look like in its prime?

In its prime, Blackadder House was a large mid-19th-century Palladian-derived mansion of pale ashlar stone. It had an asymmetrical multi-storey form, projecting bays, a later wing, tall chimneys and a low parapet or balustraded roofline. Terraced balustraded lawns descended towards the river, and a Gothic cast-iron conservatory took the form of a small chapel.

Is Blackadder House still standing / is it a ruin?

Blackadder House was demolished around 1925 and is not still standing. The house was vandalised by troops during the First World War, and the lack of money for repairs led to its demolition after the war. Surviving features include the folly walkway and cliff balustrade, the riverside power house, the stable range, the walled garden and summerhouse, and Allanbank Courtyard.

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