Kinneil House
I took a trip over to the Kinneil Estate in Bo’Ness over the weekend. I had no idea there was so much history dating over a period of 2,000 years on display here. There is a house, a museum, the Roman Antonine wall, renaissance wall paintings, James Watt’s Cottage, a Roman Fortlet, and Kinneil Church which as a ruin is barely in existence now. All that, and a resident ghost. There is a lot to take in here.
The estate was once owned by the Dukes of Hamilton, but it is now a public park which is open all year. Kinneil House, was one of their historic homes, dates back to the 16th century. It is now looked after by Historic Scotland, which is great news as it means generations to come can view the building. The photo I’ve used for this blog post is taken from the front as you approach the house down a long drive. The back of the house is more in keeping with a castle, with the front looking more like a stately home, the symmetry of the windows quite striking.
The house kitchen has been furnished in keeping with how it may have looked, but the rest of the building is inaccessible, with only part of one wing available to tour. Upstairs, the rooms are unfurnished, but there are painted ceilings, along with rare renaissance wall paintings. These are reckoned to be some of the finest examples in Scotland and well worth a visit. There are not many examples of ceilings and indeed walls adorned in this way, so it’s a real treat being able to view such well-preserved examples. I see from the Kinneil House website, a virtual tour is available, which includes the painted walls and ceilings, so if you can’t get there in-person, this is a good option to explore.
Apparently the house is haunted. I don’t know why our guide didn’t go into this particular aspect, as who doesn’t like a good ghost story. Lady Alice Lilbourne (or Lilburn) fell from a top floor room and has haunted the house ever since. The Kinneil House website has a fascinating extract from a letter written by the 19th century writer Maria Edgeworth, describing her visit and stay at the house in 1823. In this letter she mentions the ghost though she hadn’t actually heard her yet!
I have drafted several novels of a steampunk series, so I was very excited to discover there is a small building at the side of Kinneil House known as Watt’s Cottage. This was where the inventor James Watt carried out his early work while developing the steam engine. The industrialist, John Roebuck who lived in Kinneil House, helped support Watt during this period. According to the information board at this site, the idea of providing a place to continue improving the steam engine was documented in 1768. It’s now fallen into ruin with the roof and door missing, but it’s quite something to imagine how it would have looked in its day and the fact that here work took place that was critical in transforming society over a period we now call the industrial revolution, leading to the modern world we know today.
There is a room at the top of the house that contains information about the Romans and the part they played in the history of this area. You can see where the Antonine Wall existed though it’s no longer visible. It was built in the 140s AD on the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius, and was 60 kilometres long, from Bo’Ness on the Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde. The wall passed just to the left of Kinneil House. About half a kilometre to the back of the house there is evidence of a roman fortlet which you can also visit. Just before you arrive at the house there is a small house containing Kinneil Museum, which provides further fascinating information about the area.
A short walk at the back of the house, you can see what remains of Kinneil Church. Kinneil is among the oldest known parishes in Scotland and I have read that it is mentioned in the writings of the early 8th century historian Bede. The Kirk (or Church) dates from the 12th century and has sadly almost disappeared. All that is left is the back wall and then the outline of stones in the ground showing where the other walls stood.
The Kinneil Estate is a fascinating area, full of history and a lovely place to go for a walk and to chill out. It’s a great example of what Scotland has to offer and what is available on your doorstep if living here. As noted above, for those further afield, there is a virtual online tour online which is well worth taking.
The Fiction Factory 