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Mansion House, originally designed by William Adam in Georgian Palladian style carried out with detail alterations and sculpture by John Baxter, 1731-6. The interior of the house is late Victorian in style, having undergone refurbishment in 1880 by Wright and Mansfield of London. It has been home to the Gordon's of Methlilck and to Earls and Marquesses of Aberdeen since it was built in the 1730s. The house was built by the 2nd Earl of Aberdeen to impress the Duke of Gordon, father of his third wife. The landscape (NJ83SE0076) of vistas, avenues and ornaments was created by the 4th Earl, who was also Britain's Prime Minister during the Crimean War. The two Wellingtonia trees in the garden were planted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they stayed in 1857. During the Second World War Haddo was used as a maternity hospital. The house was bequeathed to the National Trust after the death of the 4ht Marquess in 1974. The centre block of the house is 77 ft square, 3-storey of ashlar granite with quoin angles. There are 7-window facades east and west, astylar, that on west has centre three slightly advanced and pedimented with urns, piend roof with parapet, 24 ft radius quadrants to 2-storey quoined rubble-built wings, 5-window to front and court. The first floor of the wings was heightened 1780 and the first floor of the quadrants are probably of the same date. There are a stable and coach house block (NJ83SE0097), hall (NJ83SE0096) and sundial (NJ83SE0100) to the south of the house. To the southeast is a fountain (NJ83SE0101), a sundial (NJ83SE0103) and urns flanking the southeast avenue (NJ83SE0102). Of the Adam-Baxter interior work the old first floor centre west entrance hall survives with addition of 1845 bust of Queen Victoria by Baron Marochetti. Geophysical and ground penetrating radar surveys carried out in 2004, revealed a series of stone lined drains and suggested the existence of substantial sub-surface structural remains. Watching brief maintained in August 2005 during excavation of a soakaway and related drainage work. No archaeological features or finds were evident during the excavation of the soakaway, but a small section of V-shaped stone drain of probable 19th-century date was recorded below a pathway on the south side of the chapel adjoining the house. MAS excavated two small trenches in an area of former terraced garden during a programme of restoration work in August 2008. The trenches provided information on a 'daisy' feature, and cut a section across one corner of a 'peta' bed. The trenches also showed that the bed had been cut through a path-like surface of fine pink granite dust, which can with some confidence be interpreted as one of the mid 19th century paths. A watching brief on a new fire main trench to the west of the house, recorded a considerable wall which pre-dated the lawn established when Haddo House was built. It is possible that the wall is part of or related to the House of Kelly. Subsequent geophysical survey and trial trenching was carried out in August 2011 to evaluate the nature and extent of archaeology below the lawn. Two two small test pits were also excavated beside the Peatyards. The structures recorded are thought to be the remains of the 16th century Place of Kelly. A watching brief carried out in 2011 during excavation of a trench to relocate cabling for a new old tank on the west side of the north wing of the house recorded no archaeological features or finds. Evaluation was carried out by MAS in January 2012 as part of works associated with the renewal of a lightning conductor on the north side of the house (centred on NJ 86860 34767). An early 19th century brick drain and part of a mid-19th century garden path were recorded. A watching brief was carried out by Cameron Archaeology in October 2012 on a trench for a new oil tank. It was excavated within the fill of existing services and no archaeological features or artefacts were recorded. A watching brief was carried out by MAS in July 2013 during work associated with the mains water supply along the east side of the staff car park. Although previous work in the area of the car park has recorded large stone walls that may relate to stables or other outbuildings relating to the 16th century House of Kelly, the 2013 site had been cut by service trenches and no new evidence of medieval structures was recorded. Two sherds of late medieval or post medieval redware pottery were found. Building recording of the Wendy House, believed to have been made in the 1950s, in the northwest corner of the private garden of the south wing was carried out by MAS in April 2014.
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Historic Environment Records (HER)