Monreith House

Monreith House is a category A listed Georgian mansion located east of the village of Port William in Mochrum parish, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The classical-style house was designed by Alexander Stevens in 1791, for Sir William Maxwell, 4th Baronet. The new house replaced the now-ruined Myrton Castle on the estate. The grounds of the house are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens, and are classed as "outstanding" in five out of six categories.HistoryThe Maxwell family first acquired Monreith in the 15th century, and built Myrton Castle on the estate. William Maxwell of Monreith was created a baronet of Nova Scotia in 1681. Magdalene Blair, wife of the third baronet, made tapestries of the gardens in the mid 17th century, which remain in the house. Sir William Maxwell, 4th Baronet, inherited the estate in 1771 and commissioned the present Monreith House from Alexander Stevens (1739–1796) in 1791. Sir William also laid out the grounds of the house as they largely remain today. In 1821 the porch was added to designs by Sir Robert Smirke.Sir Herbert Maxwell (1845–1937) succeeded as 7th Baronet in 1877. He sat as Member of Parliament for Wigtownshire from 1880 to 1906, and was admitted to the Privy Council in 1897. He also served as Lord Lieutenant of Wigtown until 1935. In 1911 he published a book on Scottish gardens, and developed a substantial plant collection at Monreith. Following his death and the Second World War, the house was rented and the gardens declined.