Mellerstain Firescreen - 3-Day Workshop with Harriet Roberts - 7-9 June 2027

The Mellerstain Firescreen is an original Arts & Crafts design within the collection at Mellerstain House. Mellerstain House, situated in the historic Borders region between England and Scotland, is one of the great Georgian grand country houses of Scotland. It is home to the Earl and Countess of Haddington and was built for their ancestors in the early 18th Century by the celebrated father and son partnership William and Robert Adam.

This beautiful firescreen comes from the Manchineel Room at Mellerstain, an elegant bedroom whose quiet beauty conceals a rather extraordinary story.

The room takes its name from its collection of furniture made from manchineel, an exotic West Indian timber that became fashionable during the early to mid-nineteenth century. The tree from which it comes, Hippomane mancinella, is native to tropical America and the Caribbean and is considered one of the most poisonous trees in the world. Its deceptively apple-like fruit gave rise to the Spanish name manzanilla de la muerte — the “little apple of death”.

Despite its fearsome origins, once carefully cut and dried to remove its toxic sap, manchineel produced a beautiful timber prized by cabinetmakers. It takes a fine polish and has a rich appearance similar to walnut. At Mellerstain, it was used to create an exceptional group of furniture for the room, including a dressing table and mirror, cheval mirror, bow-fronted chest and large wardrobe.

Originally conceived as a principal bedroom, the Manchineel Room forms part of the historic interiors of Mellerstain House. Among its furnishings sits the embroidered firescreen that inspired this design.

The Mellerstain Firescreen was first developed as a kit by Phillipa, from the original crewel work embroidery, in the early 2000s. It is now back by popular demand, once again allowing stitchers to study and reproduce a piece that belongs within this remarkable historic interior.