St Mary's Pleasance Haddington
Haddington Garden Trust (HGT) was established by the late Duke of Hamilton in 1972.
The trust’s aims are to: “preserve the garden as an open precinct to enhance the environment of
St Mary’s Church and Haddington House, and for the enjoyment in all times coming of members of the public, and to encourage the study of old Scottish gardens and gardening methods.”
The garden occupies the ground at the rear of Haddington House, which dates from 1648 and is located in Sidegate, one of the oldest streets in the Royal Burgh.
The garden has an area of 0.65 hectares (1.59 acres). It was designed by the architect Schomberg Scott to a specification of the late Sir George Taylor, former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The garden is known as St Mary’s Pleasance.
It is planted with trees and plants known to have been in cultivation in Scotland when Haddington House was built. The garden contains a “mount” and “sunk garden”, both period features of a 17th century garden. Other features include pleached allées of laburnum and boxed hornbeam and a wildflower meadow.
For further information on current initiatives in the garden please check out our blog:
http://thepleasancehaddington.blogspot.com/ 