Historic house awarded a share of £421,857 windfall to celebrate anniversary

An historic house in a Berwickshire village has been awarded a share in a £400k-plus funding windfall to help celebrate a very special birthday.

Paxton House is one of the finest Palladian houses in Britain with outstanding collections of Chippendale furniture, Georgian costume and paintings from Scotland’s national collection.

Last year the property was visited by 20,000 people, either staying in the caravan park or self catering accommodation, walking around the grounds and gardens, sharing a cuppa and slice of cake in its tearoom, exploring the property on a house tour, attending an educational activity or as a wedding guest.

Now Paxton is one of nine properties which Museums Galleries Scotland has awarded a share of £421,857 in the latest round of grants from the Museum Development Fund.

It has received £30,000 to celebrate its 250th anniversary with an exhibition showcasing its collection of Chippendale furniture.

The money will also be spent training staff to support visitors with access requirements.

The funding scheme supports accredited museums in Scotland to respond to different challenges and needs in their local community, increase financial resilience, strengthen connections with their local area, and attract national and international visitors.

The grants will fund a variety of projects, including digitising natural history collections in Inverclyde and a project at North Lankashire’s Museums & Collections to connect with local communities impacted by the legacies of slavery and empire.

Lucy Casot, the CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland, said: “These projects represent the work the sector is undertaking in remaining responsive to the needs of their community, better representing stories from people in Scotland and across the world, and contributing to a sustainable tourist experience.”

Paxton House is set to fully reopen for the 2024 season on Friday, March 29, with pop-up markets back this summer, staged every Wednesday, May to September, 10am-4pm in the house’s marquee.

It’s a chance to meet like-minded makers and crafters from across the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland as well as the opportunity to sell to both locals and holiday makers

For more information or to book check out the tickets section of Paxton House website www.paxtonhouse.co.uk