Unique take on a historic country house

A trip to the Brighton Pavillion inspired the transformation of an East Lothian pile, writes Kirsty Mcluckie

Monkton House, six miles from Edinburgh city centre in East Lothian, is a prime piece of property unlike any other.

Now into its fifth century, the building features warm pink sandstone, with walls up to seven feet thick, dotted with gun loops and arrow slits, indicating the house’s history.

But stepping into the house is where things get really interesting. A remarkable Chinese-style drawing room is adorned with dragon wall paintings and a ceiling fresco, an elegant dining room boasts an ornate fireplace, and a sitting room is resplendent with 18th-century wood panelling. An extraordinary Expressionist-style bathroom is the final surprise on the top floor.

Dr Zoe Bennett-levy bought it with her late husband, Michael, in 1978. She relates: “The freestanding tower, the oldest part of the building, was built by the monks of Newbattle in the 15th century. The building was remodelled in 1610 as a house and Michael and I are only the seventh owners – we bought it from a chap who bought it in the 1950s for just under £300.”

When the couple took over Monkton, Zoe remembers it being in something of a state: “There were 49 broken windows, and the garden was completely overgrown.

“The electricity board came and condemned the electrics the first day we were in residence, which was fittingly the first of April, so we could only have one lightbulb on.”

Michael was an antiquarian expert and Zoe, a pediatrician, recalls: “He was very buccaneering – unlike me his curmudgeonly wife – and he said, ‘We’ll knock this off in ten years’, but it didn’t work out that way.”

Instead the work to restore the house took decades and is a remarkable achievement, considering both Michael and Zoe worked full time during the process, and the couple went on to have three children – the first born less than a year after they moved in.

She says: “I can’t actually believe how

I did it, but my friends do tell us we are bonkers family.”

They all stayed in the house during the extensive work which was at times uncomfortable, especially during the difficult early years.

Zoe remembers: “We slept in it from day one, and carried out a lot of the work

ourselves. The first week, I filled 60 black bags with unspeakable things.”

Having taken years to restore the fabric of the building, Michael took over the interior decoration. Zoe says: “He would come up with these ideas. He comes from an artistic family and next to him I’m a plodding medic, but I allowed him to have free reign over the decor.”

Inspired by a visit to the Brighton Pavilion, he devised the Chinese room with a heavenly painted ceiling mural and fireplace dragon. Once complete, it was actually photographed for an exhibition in the National Museum of Scotland as a fine example of Neo-chinoiserie. The bolection panelling seen in the room is rare, but it can also be found in the oldest part of Holyrood Palace.

Michael was a leading authority on