Dalzell Estate, Motherwell, main avenue to Dalzell House, in autumn.
Dalzell Estate dates from 843, when it was a hunting estate owned by the Dalzell family (hence the name). In 1647 it was granted to James Hamilton and it passed down the family until 1952 when Lord Gavin Hamilton died and the family moved to Surrey. While that Hamiltons still owned it, Archibald Hamilton the 4th Laird (1694-1774) who was a keen horticulturist, vastly expanded and re-shaped the estate, creating a forest, avenues, walks and features like the Listening Cave (still there). The estate is the hinterland of Dalzell House, which started as a defensive tower, but was added to over the centuries and became a substantial mansion. The house was a boys' school - Gresham House - for 15 years until 1967 when it was bought by the council, which didn't do much with it or the estate, which fell into disrepair. The house was sold to a developer in 1985 and is now flats. There are said to be 3 ghosts in residence there. The esttate has also been renovated and restored and is now a popular public park, which adjoins a RSPB bird reserve, Baron's Haugh, and contains features such as the Japanese Garden, the Covenanters Oak tree, said to be 800 years old, and a small cemetery.
Size: 3425px × 2271px
Location: Motherwell, ML1 2SD, Lanarkshire, Scotland, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Dallas Carter / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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