Building record MAB27767 - ADEN HOUSE

Remains of a mansion house, within the designed landscape (NJ94NE0077) of the Aden estate.

Remains of a mansion house, within the designed landscape (NJ94NE0077) of the Aden estate. Built after 1758 when Alexander Russel of Montcoffer purchased the estate (though suggested that the present house was built on or near the site of an earlier building). It was remodelled by John Smith I in 1832-3. It is shown on the OS 1st edition map with a designed garden to the west up to the ha-ha wall, extending northwards to a large rectangular greenhouse with a projection to the south. The greenhouse is no longer shown on the OS 2nd edition map. Aden House, now a roofless ruin, is a 2-storey, 6-bay, asymmetric with advanced end bays and a 2-window quoined ashlar pedimented centre-piece in golden granite. Smith remodelling in 1832-3 saw the west wing rebuilt with a higher ground floor, and the addition to the south elevation of a tetrastyle porte cochere, in grey ashlar granite, with paired Roman Doric columns built out from the west intermediate bay. The rebuilt west elevation is symmetrical with two bays on each side of a Roman Doric colonnaded bow, formerly with a dome, and a large top lit atrium in the centre of the house accommodated a library. It originally had fireclay balustraded parapets, but these were removed (possibly in 1983) along with the roof and many internal walls. The building was requisitioned as a billet for troops during World War II. In 1975 the house and grounds were acquired by the then Banff and Buchan District Council, to form what it is now Aden Country Park. Investigation and recording was carried out by MAS in July 2015 after tiling was exposed in the 1832 entrance hall during removal of access steps. In the outer, lower, area of the entrance hall was a well-preserved floor of geometric pattern tiles covering the full width of the hall and into the entrance bay. A stone skirting of light grey slate ran around the base of the walls. Three inner slate steps running across the full width of the hall gave access to the upper part of the entrance hall had been infilled with compact stone rubble and mortar debris. A number of ceramic tile pieces from the fill fitted the pattern of the lower floor. The tiling an redecoration of the hall is likely to date from at least the late 1840s, possibly later. A number of test pits were also dug in the interior of the mansion gave clear indication of cellarage, of probable 18th century date, to at least 1.5 m below the 19th century floor. Geophysical survey carried out by RGC in 2017 around the ruins of the house identified numerous anomalies of possible archaeological significance. These lie mainly to the west and indicate garden features, including paths and a probable fountain shown on earlier OS maps. Other anomalies indicative of structures have also been detected to the west of the house. Ground penetrating radar within the ruins produced mixed results, and there is no clear evidence for an earlier structure. Cameron Archaeology carried out an excavation from 29 April to 12 May 2019. Twenty trenches were excavated, targeting geophysical anomalies, investigating the current mansion house and searching for evidence of earlier structures. The main trenching took place in the former garden area on the western side of the house. Areas of pebbled surfaces and gravel were uncovered indicating surfaces and paths, along with areas where trees had been located, but no evidence of formal planting was recorded. Little more was determined about the garden which appears to have been mainly lawn, trees and areas of gravel surfaces. The excavation of the pond/fountain in the garden area revealed that the concrete base for the fountain was 3 m in diameter and the original pit for the structure was 4 m diameter. A central garden feature is shown on the OS 1st edition map, but it is suggested that this pond was built in the late 19th century and removed in the early 20th century, prior to a series of photographs. A series of stone-lined drains were also investigated. These were found to be impressive, well built structures, which would have been capable of channelling large quantities of water from the house and the surrounding area. It is thought that the main west-east drain may pre-date the house, with a later drain constructed after the house, which joined into the main drain and may have taken water from the laundries on the north of the house. The investigations of the current house ruin identified an earlier structure on the north side of the house. Stepped foundations may be an earlier phase of the building, but it has not been determined whether any of these pre-date the mid 18th century. Finds of 18th and 19th century domestic waste, included pottery, glass, building material, window glass, brick, ceramic roof furniture and garden furniture remains of ceramic garden planters, plant pots and concrete pond fragments.

Period Notes
Originally built late 18th century. Ancient patrimony, as stated in Book of Deir, granted to Keith Family of Aden Park in 1324 and then passed on to Montcoffer family in 1758. Mansion reconstructed in 1832, (although details state 1822-3 which does not match).

GRAMPIAN REGIONAL COUNCIL, 1975, ADEN HOUSE, MINTLAW, Condition Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB2638.

BINNEY, M, 1980, LOST HOUSES OF SCOTLAND, Photo (Bibliographic reference). SAB3740.

BUCHAN, J, 1987, BYGONE BUCHAN, 64 (Bibliographic reference). SAB97.

HILL, A F, 1990, ADEN - WHERE THE PRESENT MEETS THE PAST. ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY REVIEW, 184, (1990) 292-299 (Bibliographic reference). SAB4402.

MURRAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERVICES, 2015, ADEN HOUSE, MINTLAW, ABERDEENSHIRE: STRUCTURAL RECORDING, Structural recording (Bibliographic reference). SAB5183.

WALKER, DW, 2015, THE BUILDINGS OF SCOTLAND: ABERDEENSHIRE: NORTH AND MORAY, pp.319-320 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3422.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2017, ADEN COUNTRY PARK, ABERDEENSHIRE; PROJECT BRIEF HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND PROJECTS 2017, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB8211.

ROSE GEOPHYSICAL CONSULTANTS, 2017, GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY REPORT, ADEN PARK (Bibliographic reference). SAB3140.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2019, ADEN COUNTRY PARK, ABERDEENSHIRE, AB42 5FQ: DATA STRUCTURE REPORT (29 APRIL-12 MAY 2019 EXCAVATION), Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB8085.

CAMERON ARCHAEOLOGY, 2022, ADEN COUNTRY PARK: POST-EXCAVATION RESEARCH DESIGN FOR EXCAVATIONS 2016-2021, PERD (Bibliographic reference). SAB8535.

CAMERON, A, 2024, ADEN COUNTRY PARK: A NEOLITHIC ENCLOSURE, POST-REFORMATION CHAPEL, 18TH C MANSION HOUSE AND A 19TH C MILITARY TRAINING GROUND (Bibliographic reference). SAB8688.

Apr 10 1997 , AAS/97/04/CT40, AAS/97/04/CT40 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16703.

Apr 10 1997 , AAS/97/04/G8/11-13, AAS/97/04/G8/11-13 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16702.

Jul 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-361 - 365, AAS-GR-15-07-361 - 365 (Ground Photograph). SAB35390.

Jul 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-474 - 504, AAS-GR-15-07-474 - 504 (Ground Photograph). SAB35815.

Jul 13 2015 , AAS-GR-15-07-727, AAS-GR-15-07-727 (Ground Photograph). SAB35956.

Mar 10 1994 , AAS/94/07/G16/14, AAS/94/07/G16/14 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15071.

Mar 17 2005 , AAS/05/1/CT37,39,41-2, AAS/05/1/CT37,39,41-2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18296.

Mar 17 2005 , AAS/05/1/CT92,97-100,103, AAS/05/1/CT92,97-100,103 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18955.

Mar 17 2005 , AAS/05/1/CT96, 101, AAS/05/1/CT96, 101 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB18297.

Mar 18 2008 , AAS-GR-08-03-012 0g 016, AAS-GR-08-03-012 0g 016 (Ground Photograph). SAB36135.

May 24 1986 , GB 33-36, GB 33-36 (Ground Photograph). SAB33500.

May 24 1986 , GC 1, GC 1 (Ground Photograph). SAB14823.

Author unknown, n.d., ABERDEEN DAILY JOURNAL, JULY 11, 1832 (Bibliographic reference). SAB23.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, OLD DEER 21 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Author unknown, n.d., BUCHAN OBSERVER, 26/07/83 (Bibliographic reference). SAB113.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, VOL 12, 145 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Nov 13 1997 , AAS/97/13/G28/17, AAS/97/13/G28/17 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB16980.

Record last edited

Aug 30 2024 4:16PM