Marshall Meadows House

Marshall Meadows House is a Georgian mansion and the most northerly hotel in England, located north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, in northeastern England. Currently trading as Marshall Meadows Manor House, the hotel is set in 15 acres (6.1 ha) of grounds only 275 metres (902 ft) from the border with Scotland.

1. Early Residents

Marshall Meadows was built in 1780 by a wealthy merchant who spared no expense on the materials that went into its construction. The sandstone blocks were imported and the windows were very lavish. The identity of the builder of the house is not known but it seems that he did not live there long as in 1788 it was for sale. The advertisement is shown. George Hogarth (1749-1832) was one of the earliest residents of the house. He is shown to be living here by 1799. He was a merchant owning a business called Hogarth and Company which traded in salmon fishery licences in Aberdeen. He also was the Deputy Lieutenant of Berwick-On-Tweed. He died in 1832 and his nephew David Murray became the owner of the house. His relative William Murray (1780-1851) inherited the house after his death. William died in 1851 and the house was advertised for sale in the newspaper (ad is shown at this reference).

1. The Swanston family

The property was purchased by James Swanston (1798-1855) who was a merchant and Commission Agent in Riches Court in London. However, only three years later he died leaving his wife Christian Swanston (née Turnbull) a widow with seven young children. In his will he left Marshall Meadows to her for her lifetime and after that to his eldest son John Alexander Swanston. Christian was born in Eyemouth, Berwickshire in 1813 and was only 42 when James died. He did however leave her well provided for. He was buried in Eyemouth Cemetery. She remained at Marshall Meadows with her children. Christian’s daughters were married at the house and the receptions were mentioned in the newspapers. One of her daughters, Catherine married a famous theologian Reverend Marcus Dods who is the subject of numerous books. After Christian’s death in 1900 her son John Alexander Swanston owned Marshall Meadows. He died in 1918 and in 1925 it was purchased by Alderman Thomas Darling (1852-1932). Thomas was a businessman who was a partner in the firm Messrs Johnson and Darling and had several other connections to Banks and Associations. He was alderman of the Northumberland County Council for many years. In the 1950s Gordon B Ayre, his wife and family bought Marshall Meadows House, refurbished and modernised the house to make it their family home. They acquired Marshall Meadows House and set about the enormous task of converting this from a rather run down hospital to a spacious family home where the family were based for the next 30 years before retirement to Norham.

1. Current Standings As A Hotel

Marshall Meadows Manor House is one of England's most northern hotels, featuring 27 bedrooms within the main hotel, along with dog-friendly pods with hot tubs situated within the 15 acres the manor house has to offer. Within the hotel, Marshall Meadows Restaurant 1782 offers a service which obtained an AA Rosette.

1. See also

Marshall Meadows Bay

1. References


1. External links

Official website

Nearby Places View Menu

Marshall Meadows Bay

Marshall Meadows Bay is a small bay located on the Northumberland coast, England, 2+1⁄2 miles (4 kilometres) north of Berwick-upon-Tweed Just to the north of the bay lies the Anglo-Scottish border and the northernmost point of England. Across the border in Scotland is the county of Berwickshire in the Borders region. The hamlet of Marshall Meadows lies to the west of the bay, and is the most northerly inhabited place in England. The Marshall Meadows Manor House Hotel is here, along with a farm and a caravan site. There is a disused tunnel from the caravan site to the bay below, and there is a small cave 300 m (1,000 ft) north of this tunnel, plus another small cave just around the corner of Marshall Meadows Point. Nearby is the A1 trunk road and the East Coast Main Line railway. The Berwickshire Coastal Path from Berwick to Eyemouth runs along the clifftop at Marshall Meadows Bay. The cliffs are about fifty metres high. Borders Buses operates a regular service between Berwick and St Abbs stopping at New East Farm, a short walk from Marshall Meadows Bay.

Beach Campground

1.4 km

Lamberton, Scottish Borders

Lamberton is a hilly, former landed estate in Berwickshire, Scotland, its eastern boundary being the North Sea. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the Great North Road (today the A1).

Landmark Neighbourhood

2.0 km

Battle of Halidon Hill

The Battle of Halidon Hill took place on 19 July 1333 when a Scottish army under Sir Archibald Douglas attacked an English army commanded by King Edward III of England (r. 1327–1377) and was heavily defeated. The year before, Edward Balliol had seized the Scottish Crown from five-year-old David II (r. 1329–1371), surreptitiously supported by Edward III. This marked the start of the Second War of Scottish Independence. Balliol was shortly expelled from Scotland by a popular uprising, which Edward III used as a casus belli, invading Scotland in 1333. The immediate target was the strategically-important border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which the English besieged in March. A large Scottish army advanced to relieve the town. They attempted and failed to draw the English away from Berwick. By mid-July, knowing Berwick was on the verge of surrender and aware they were much stronger than the English, the Scots attacked. They unsuccessfully manoeuvred for position and then launched an assault on the English, who had taken up a favourable defensive position. English longbowmen caused heavy Scottish casualties during their approach, and when the Scots came into contact with the English infantry, the fight was short. The Scottish formations collapsed and the Scots fled in disorder. The English men-at-arms mounted and pursued the Scots for 8 miles (13 km), causing further heavy casualties. The Scottish commander and many of the Scots' senior nobility were killed during the battle. Berwick surrendered on terms the next day. Balliol was reinstalled as king of Scotland after ceding much of his territory to Edward III and agreeing to do homage for the balance. Balliol's opponents would not admit defeat and he was deposed again in 1334, restored in 1335 and deposed once again in 1336. In 1337 the Hundred Years' War broke out between France and England which allowed David II to consolidate his position in Scotland. In 1346 the Scots were decisively beaten at the Battle of Neville's Cross with heavy loss and David was captured. It was eleven years before terms were agreed for David's release. They included an Anglo-Scottish truce, which lasted for four decades and marked the end of the Second War of Scottish Independence.

Historic Site Landmark

2.0 km

Lamberton Castle

Lamberton Castle was a castle located at Lamberton, in Scottish Borders, Scotland. The castle was a stronghold of the Lindsay family. It was the caput of the Barony of Lamberton. Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford during an expedition in 1544, destroyed the castle. No remains of the castle exist above ground.

Castle Historic Site