Hirsel Homestead Museum
A small estate museum at the Hirsel Homestead near Coldstream, about how people lived and worked on the estate, with a café, craft units and walks.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Hirsel is the estate of the Douglas-Home family, now managed by Douglas and Angus Estates, on the border between Scotland and England near Coldstream. The estate describes a family tradition of stewardship going back nearly 1,000 years. Its Homestead, a group of former estate buildings, today houses a café and farm shop, studios and units for local makers, and a museum.
The museum aims to introduce visitors to what they can see and hear while exploring the estate. It gives historical background on how people lived and worked at the Hirsel in the past, how the different estate departments depended on one another, and the natural history of the estate as a whole. It is housed in outbuildings around the Homestead courtyard.
The surrounding park has waymarked walks around Hirsel Lake, along the River Leet and through Dundock Wood. The lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, where many species of duck, geese and gulls spend the winter, and about 170 bird species have been recorded on the estate.
Highlights
- Museum on estate life and natural history
- Waymarked walks around Hirsel Lake and Dundock Wood
- Homestead Café and Farm Shop
- Studios and units of local craftspeople
- Rhododendron and azalea wood in late spring
Permanent exhibition
- The Hirsel museum – Displays on how people lived and worked on the Hirsel estate in the past, how its departments depended on one another, and its natural history.
- Founded
- 1974
- Operated by
- Douglas and Angus Estates
Admission & discounts
| Entry charge to the estate, per car | £2.50Helps maintain the walks around the lake and in Dundock Wood |
|---|---|
| Season ticket "Friend of the Hirsel" (one year) | £25Sold at the Homestead Café |
No separate museum ticket price is published. The estate charges £2.50 per car on entry. Visitors who walk from Coldstream are not formally charged, and honesty boxes at the Homestead and in Dundock Wood take donations for the upkeep of the walks, grounds and museum.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The Field to Fork education programme is run for children from the Homestead.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
An entry charge of £2.50 per car applies; a season ticket costs £25 a year.
The Homestead is on the Hirsel Estate at Coldstream.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
The Homestead Café and Farm Shop serves cakes, scones, light lunches, teas and coffees; tables of eight or more must be booked on +44 1890 880180. Local makers have units at the Homestead selling arts and crafts.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | The Homestead is the base of the estate's Field to Fork education programme, with a purpose-built classroom, farm visits and lessons on farming and food for children. |
