Belvedere: an exotic name for a Bathgate housing estate

Belvedere is an exotic name for a Bathgate housing estate. The word is Italian, translating as "a fair sight." Originally used to describe a raised turret on top of a building providing a view, over time it was applied to viewpoints with no building.

The Bathgate housing estate is named after Belvedere Wood, a circular woodland located to the north-west. This wood is a Belvedere - a viewpoint deliberately incorporated into an 18th century designed landscape, likely part of the (long-since lost) Ballencrieff House estate.

Aerial view of Belvedere Wood and Balbardie Park of Peace

The Belvedere and associated designed landscape is clearly mapped on the General Roy map of 1755, where it is shown linked by an avenue to Ballencrieff House. The estate covered much of the present-day Balbardie Park of Peace.

Although the name Ballencrieff is well known, the history of Ballencrieff House is obscure. It was a significant building but no image of it has been found. An early reference is in taxation rolls for the Hearth Tax of 1691, where Ballencrieff House is listed as having fourteen hearths - double the number of the other big houses listed such as Balbardie, Kirkton and Couston.

All traces of the house were completely erased by 19th century coal mining on the site and subsequent land restoration, but it was located on the golf course, approximately between the 3G pitch and grass football pitches.

Ballencrieff House was owned by the Hamilton family. Sir William Hamilton is regarded as the ancestor of the Bathgate Hamiltons and was granted the lands of Bathgate in 1407. By the 1700’s Alexander Hamilton (1684-1763) owned Ballencrieff House and styled himself as “Hamilton of Ballencrieff and Innerwick.” He was the MP for Linlithgowshire, “the county of his family residence of Ballencrieff.” between 1727 and 1741. He had the role of Postmaster General for Scotland from 1746 till his death and was Scottish Secretary to the Prince of Wales from 1733. He married Lady Mary Kerr of Newbattle Abbey around 1723. They had five children; James, Alexander, Archibald, Robert and Jane, all recorded as being born at Bathgate.

General Roy map 1752-1755 showing the Ballencrieff designed landscape and Belvedere feature

The William Roy map of 1752-55 shows Bathgate as no more than a few houses around the area of the current High Church, heading west along the current Cochrane Street. Ballencrieff House is shown and spelled “Ballancrieff.” The landscape design is well established on this map, so the design and construction must have started well before 1755. An avenue stretches from Ballencrieff House westward to the circular feature which is not named but is the Belvedere. There is a central point, an inner circle, an outer circle and eight radial features, which are ditches or hedges marking directed views to features of interest. Cairnpapple and Bathgate Castle are likely two of these features; we can only speculate what the other features may have been as so much of the landscape has changed. The view, more generally, is an attractive one and is part of the experience with longer views to the Pentland and Ochil hills and the peaks of the Trossachs also visible.

The wider Ballencrieff estate is shown as divided into seven or eight fields or parks, by straight lines of trees. The straight lines point to an early to mid-18th century design, before more picturesque styles developed. To the north of Ballencrieff House is a pond feature which can be seen on later maps and can still be traced on the ground today.

A plan of the estate of Ballencrieff made in 1764, and held by National Archives of Scotland, shows the Belvedere. No radial features are depicted in the Belvedere but the outer edge has tree cover and the interior is clear of trees. In this plan, Ballencrieff House is not directly connected to the Belvedere by the avenue as depicted on Roy, but to the south-east of the avenue end. The house has three wings and is connected to the Torphichen road at what is now called Ballencrieff Toll by an access road lined by trees.

Alexander Hamilton’s Ballencrieff estate did not survive long after his death. Mark Napier, a descendent of the Hamiltons, wrote in 1872 that Alexander’s death “proved disastrous to the ancient house of which he was honoured head.” The estate passed to his son James who was described as “an affectionate son and kind hearted man but foolish and extravagant to a degree; for he was constrained to part with all the possessions of his ancient house very soon after he succeeded to them. All this accounts for the fact that his mother Lady Mary, lived the five years she survived her beloved husband, not at Ballincrieff, which never again held a Hamilton.” It is likely that the estate was sold to the Earl of Hopetoun (Belvedere Wood is later recorded as being owned by him), and he in turn sold part of the estate to Alexander Marjoribanks of Balbardie in 1805. When Ballencrieff House was abandoned is not recorded, but the estate deteriorated and was absorbed into the Balbardie estate. The only remaining Bathgate connection to the Hamilton family are the streets ‘Hamilton Road’ and ‘Hamilton Lane’.

By the time of the First Edition Ordnance Survey map in 1856, Ballencrieff House is shown as a ruin, and Balbardie House and estate has absorbed most of the designed landscape area. Belvedere Wood is outwith the boundary of the Balbardie estate.

Panoramic view north and west from Belvedere Wood

The Belvedere still exists within Belvedere Wood today. The circular and radial features that are depicted on the Roy map are visible ditches, notably on the north, south and west of the site. It is remarkable that these still exist when they most likely date from before 1750. This date makes the Belvedere feature one of the oldest constructed features left in Bathgate (after Cairnpapple, the Bathgate Castle earthwork and the old Parish Kirk at Kirkton). The most significant remnant is the view, the reason that the Belvedere was originally created. Although the hill is not that high (a modest 163m), there is an impressive view north, west and south. The Belvedere and the remaining view are a designated “‘Scenic Landscape Area” along with much of the Bathgate Hills.

You can walk up to the Belvedere, almost in the footsteps of the 18^th century Hamiltons, by taking the track from Ballencrieff Toll past Dykeside Farm, which is a Core Path (WL20). If driving, it’s best to park in the Xcite car park. After approximately 0.9 miles, take the track on the left signed 0.4 miles to the Belvedere. (There is a lot of vegetation in the summer months at the entry to the wood).

In Belvedere Wood, Bathgate

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Published in Konect July 2025

Author: Colin Peacock