Thursday March 26th 2026
Dumb waiter
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
An imposing Borders mansion is preparing to let go a ‘dumb waiter’ as part of an internal shake-up.
Marchmont House is a ‘Grade A’ listed Palladian mansion built in 1750 by Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont.
It lies on the east side of the village of Greenlaw, and near to a church at Polwarth in Berwickshire.
An application has been submitted to Scottish Borders Council for internal alterations to remove a former dumb waiter shaft and for removal of double doors.
A dumb waiter is a small freight elevator or lift designed specifically to transport goods – such as food, dishes, laundry, or luggage – between floors, rather than people.
Often installed in restaurants, hotels, and multi-story homes, they act as efficient ‘silent waiters’ to move items between kitchens, basements, and dining areas.
The application seeks permission to remove a redundant ‘dumb waiter’ and block over an existing doorway within the Old Kitchen Gallery room at Marchmont.
A report with the application states: “The ‘dumb waiter’ was installed in the 1980s when the house was used as a Sue Ryder care home but has been out of use for over ten years.
“The room was refurbished in circa 2015/16 with modern wall and floor finishes installed and new cornicing fitted to match a historic mould.
“New electrical and heating services were also installed at this time.
“More laterally, windows were changed to glazed doorways leading out to a newly built stone terrace and steps.
“The changes being applied for in this application are minor in scale and do not affect the historic fabric of the building. Floor, wall and ceiling finishes will be reinstated to match existing.”
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