Tag Archive: paxton house
The Paxton House team are delighted to launch a new garden feature, and it has an incredibly unique history. ‘The Edinburgh Window’ has recently been re-built, 53 years after the building it was once part of was demolished. With intricate features, including cherubs and towering columns, this outstanding piece of masonry really captures your interest.
This window used to be a part of The Life Association of Scotland building, located on Princes Street in Edinburgh. This magnificent building was originally constructed between 1855 and 1858 and was one of this tallest and grandest within the city. It had a large array of extravagant stone detail, especially on its windows. Despite a large amount of opposition by the general public, the building was demolished in 1967.
When the building was destroyed, one of the windows was saved by Ricky Demarco and Alastair Rowan, then principal of the Edinburgh College of Art. It was stored at the College for 25 years or so, and then brought down to Paxton by Alistair when he became chairman of the Trust. The window, in all its separate parts, was stored here for another 25 years or so, and has now been restored to its original glory.
The reconstruction would not have been possible without the expertise, help and support from Michael Richardson and his team of builders, Allan Swan who drew up the architectural plans, and several other local businesses and partners.
The Edinburgh Window is located in the Apple Yard, between the main bridge and caravan park. Grounds passes are just £5 per day or £15 for an annual pass and can be purchased in advance by clicking here.
Paxton House’s grounds and gardens will be reopening to visitors from Monday 29th June 2020. We have detailed information below on the various Paxton House attractions and facilities. All decisions have been made in accordance with government guidance, keeping the safety of our volunteers, staff and visitors in mind at all times.
Please use the hand sanitiser available on site and abide by social distancing and hygiene rules at all times.
We will continue to post any further updates to our opening dates and health and safety measures on our website, Facebook and Instagram pages.
Opening Hours for December 2020- April 2021
OPEN DAILY 10am-4pm
Grounds, Gardens and Play Park
CLOSED UNTIL APRIL 2021
The House, (including the Picture Gallery and the Hayloft Gallery) Stables Tearoom, Toilets, Regency Gift Shop, Waterwheel, Boat Trips and Trails
£5 per day or £15 per year and kids under 16 go free
If you have any queries please email info@paxtonhouse.com
Hygiene Safety Measures
We encourage all of our visitors to be courteous to one another, maintaining a 2m distance from other visitors at all times, in accordance with government social distancing guidelines. Please also remember to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds as soon as you return home. Please follow the latest government guidelines regarding maximum group sizes and mixing of households.
You can find the latest Scottish Government guidance on Coronavirus here.
The Coronavirus pandemic has posed a threat to businesses across the country, with the tourism and hospitality industry being hit particularly hard. Paxton House was no exception to this, as we closed our doors in March to help prevent the spread of the virus and protect the health of our staff and volunteers, following government guidance. This meant taking a large financial hit, as we are almost entirely financially dependent on visitor attendance. With approximately 90% of our revenue coming from paying visitors, closing our doors also meant risking Paxton’s survival.
Like many businesses who were forced to shut their doors, we endeavoured to minimise our outgoings as much as possible. However, we still needed to take care of essential costs such as insurance, basic security and grounds maintenance. This meant that we needed to find alternative means of supporting Paxton financially.
In order to ensure Paxton’s survival, we decided to hold a fundraiser with the aim of raising at least £20,000 by the start of the summer – June 20th. We are so pleased to announce that, through the incredibly generous support of our donors, we have managed to reach our target!
These unprecedented times have caused financial difficulties for many of us. So, we recognise just how much it means to have received this level of support from our donors. As a result of your incredible help, we can look forward to opening Paxton’s doors once again when it is safe to do so, and we are so grateful to every person who has made that possible.
So, from all the Paxton House team, we want to say a massive thank you for all your support! Whether it was £5 or £500, we are so thankful for every donation received. We look forward to seeing you all again soon, hopefully in the not-too-distant future. For up to date information on possible reopening dates and measures, please check our social media pages:
Facebook
Instagram
Update 24.3.20
Coronavirus update
Due to the latest government announcement, it is with great sadness that we must now close the caravan park, apartments and the estate grounds and gardens.
Please do all you can to stay inside and follow the government advice. We will update our social media pages and website when the situation changes again.
If you have an accommodation booking with us, please contact unique cottages for further information. For caravan park bookings, please contact events@paxtonhouse.com.
Update 20.3.20
In light of recent government advice regarding the COVID-19 pandemic we have taken the decision to postpone the opening of Paxton House and all public events until the 1st of July. The opening date will be reviewed in June following further guidance.
We welcome you to continue enjoying our grounds, gardens and play park as these will remain open. It is important to get outside and have some fresh air during these unusual times, please just keep distance with others when you are on the estate and continue good hygiene practices once returning home.
As we are a charity, we would be grateful for your support, at this time more than ever, by purchasing a grounds pass online here: https://paxtonhouse.co.uk/…/membership-schemes/grounds-pass/
Our caravan park, self-catered apartments and Stables Tearoom also remain open to guests for the foreseeable future. Please check our social media channels for updated opening hours. The Orde Food Company have put measures in place to increase spacing between tables in the tearoom and are continuing to maintain stringent hygiene practices.
We look forward to welcoming you back to Paxton House when it is safe to do so.
If you have any questions regarding any of the above please email events@paxtonhouse.com.
Thank you for your support during this challenging and extraordinary time.
The Paxton House Team
Here at Paxton House, we’re so excited to see what the new decade will bring… and that includes, of course, what it will bring for weddings! A wedding is a unique expression of a couple’s personal taste, so of course not every trend is for everyone. But, we think we can expect to see a lot of these ideas coming into play over the next 10 years, and we can’t wait to see how couples will put their own twist on them.
Natural Elements
While natural elements such as flowers are a timeless feature of wedding event design, we think that this year couples will continue to incorporate the natural world in more free and organic ways. For example, couples are choosing to have their ceremonies and dining amongst nature to create an even greater WOW factor for their guests.
At Paxton House, we have seen a rise in outdoor ceremonies over the past few years and we only see this increasing in popularity. With the freedom to make your vows anywhere in the Paxton grounds, you could choose to have views across the River Tweed, be surrounded by manicured gardens or be amongst the spectacular poplar trees.
Alternatives to the Sit-Down Dinner
This year, we think that the trend of more casual, interactive dining options will continue to grow. Rather than a sit-down, three-course meal, think grazing stations, gin bars and s’more stations. Why not replace the traditional wedding cake with a popular ‘cheese cake’ or an even more fun French Croquembouche. For couples looking for a more playful dining experience, these are great options – guests can mingle while they eat, and get creative with customisable cuisine.
Blue
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something… Classic Blue. Yes, this is Pantone’s 2020 colour of the year, which ‘highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era’. Does anyone else hear wedding bells?
We love the idea of incorporating the timeless combination of blue and white into your event design. You could take inspiration from the Paxton gardens, filled with rhododendrons, foxgloves and bluebells, or use our blue Boathouse doors as a backdrop!
Sustainability
Interest in ‘Green Weddings’ is on the rise: according to Pinterest, searches for sustainable wedding ideas have risen by 181% this year, as couples look for new ways to minimise the environmental impact of their big day. This can range from throwing biodegradable confetti to asking guests to donate money to an environmental charity in lieu of a wedding present. Check out this list for some great ideas on how to make your wedding more eco-conscious.
Intimate Weddings
These were big (and small!) in 2019, and we think they’ll continue to be a trend this year. Many couples are opting for smaller, ‘Microweddings’, bringing along just a few of their closest family and friends. On top of creating a romantic, intimate atmosphere, this can open up more options in terms of budget and venue.
Our wedding boat ceremony is the perfect example: with a maximum of 5 guests (yes, we said micro!), you can tie the knot right on the waters of the River Tweed. Or, you could opt to make your vows in our secluded Victorian Boathouse, which can accommodate up to 35 guests.
Inclusive Menus
In keeping with the trend of ‘ethical weddings’, more and more couples will be opting for caterers that can provide delicious options for everyone. That means we can expect to see more vegan menus, gluten-free alternatives, and mocktails that are just as tasty as their alcoholic counterparts.
Our in-house caterer, The Orde Food Company, have produced entirely vegan menus in the past, as well as creating bespoke dining experiences depending on specific diets or themes.
Creative Entertainment
Bringing elements of spirituality and mysticism into weddings is going to be a big trend in 2020 – expect to see palm readings, tarot cards and astrologers. Even if this isn’t your thing, we think there will be a wider trend of bringing in creative forms of entertainment for your guests.
Think magicians and caricaturists wowing your loved ones while you get the chance to take your wedding photos around the grounds, or the little ones getting involved in a game of giant Jenga!
Barn Weddings
In keeping with the recent turn towards more rustic and informal wedding venues, we think that barn weddings will continue to be huge in 2020.
For anyone looking to capture this style in a smaller setting, our Victorian Boathouse is perfect. We love seeing how this simple backdrop of aged stone walls can be transformed into a magical wedding space. You can use both simple foliage or grand floral displays to decorate – both look beautiful in this rustic setting.
Are you looking to get married in the 2020s? If you would like more information on weddings at Paxton House, please email events@paxtonhouse.com or visit www.paxtonhouse.com.
Image References
Links to images sourced via Pinterest:
Image 1 – food truck
Image 2 – grazing table
Image 3 – leaf confetti
Image 4 – leaf place markers
Image 5 – card reader
Image 6 – caricaturist
The Paxton Trust is set to restore the waterwheel and beam pump of one of Scotland’s oldest domestic water supply systems thanks to grant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, BCCF Environmental (Scottish Borders Council Landfill Communities Fund monies) and the Fallago Environment Fund. HLF has announced an award of £56,500.
An eighteenth century stone cistern connected to several natural springs in Paxton Dene and the foundations of a waterwheel and machinery to pump that clean water up to Paxton House had been discovered by local volunteers. Only fragments of the original plant were discovered at Paxton, but a very similar wheel and pump were found lying derelict at nearby Blackadder Mount. That led to a plan from heritage engineering consultant Jim Mitchell to recommission the Blackadder machinery on the Paxton site as a working heritage feature.
The Paxton Trust is extremely grateful to the volunteers who are leading this project; to Blair Harrower for the donation of the historic machinery; and to the HLF and other donors for awarding the funds required to complete the job. Work will start soon to restore the site and the machinery, and to create an access path so that visitors will be able to see one of Scotland’s oldest pumped domestic water systems working again. The project will take a year to complete, and the waterwheel will start turning when Paxton House opens for the 2018 season.
Paxton trustee John Home Robertson said “Paxton House is famous for its Adam architecture and its Chippendale furniture, but the people who lived and worked here in 1790 needed clean water, which had to be pumped up the brae from Paxton Dene. It will be great to see a waterwheel driving a beam pump here again, and we are very grateful to the HLF and the other funders for supporting this initiative”.
Paxton House Education Officer Hermione Hoffmann added “We will be working with local schools to record the restoration work during 2017, and we are looking for volunteers to help to maintain and operate the waterwheel and pump for the benefit of our visitors”.
Lucy Casot, Head of HLF Scotland, said “Uncovering where and how our ancestors lived helps communities to understand their own history and identity. Thanks to National Lottery players. HLF is able to support projects such as the restoration of the waterwheel and beam pump at Paxton House, that produce tantalising clues about the past and provide volunteers with new skills”.
Keeps your eyes peeled for future updates about the waterwheel. We will be tracking the progress of the project through our website and social media.
Please take a look at the latest news from Paxton House and upcoming events.
newsletter-dec-jan-website-version
We just want to take a minute to highlight the beautiful lodge we have here at Paxton House that is a wonderful retreat for couples wanting a long weekend away.
The lodge sits at the entrance to the estate and has a garden for those Summer days. It is perfectly situated to explore the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland, only being 3 miles from Berwick-Upon-Tweed and the A1. We also offer 10% off in The Stables Tearoom and The Regency Gift Shop!
Curl up in the beautifully clean living room, it features a lovely log burning stove to use during those cold winter nights.
There is also a lovely sized double bedroom for a cosy nights sleep after a day of exploring the grounds and Paxton House gems.
And we can’t forget those furry friends, your pets are very welcome to stay here at Paxton Houses South Lodge. There are lovely riverside walks and more throughout the grounds, even enjoy an 8km walk to Berwick-Upon-Tweed, or head along to the Union Chain Bridge and up to the Chain Bridge Honey Farm.
There is so much to do when staying here at the Paxton estate you will just have to come back for more.
