Hospitalfield Arts

General information

This ancient site, so close to the sea and also a short driving distance from the glens that lead deep in to the Grampian mountains, has been continuously occupied from the early 13th century. A hospital was built by monks to receive pilgrims making their way to the many spiritual sites in Arbroath and further north. In time, however it became the home of the abbot, or head monk; perhaps too beautiful a location to remain a hospital? Ownership by the Church ceased in the late 16th century and, although much has changed since then, the architecture of the house bears echoes of this early settlement.

Hospitalfield has been added to and changed by many of the families that have lived in it since the later 16th century and particularly by the Fraser family who purchased the estate in the 1660s. When Elizabeth Fraser, the last of that family, was just a child, her father, John Fraser died leaving the estate to her until she married.

In 1843 Elizabeth married Patrick Allan, originally from Arbroath, Allan had left for Edinburgh to train as an artist. He continued his studies in Rome, Paris and eventually settled in London, returning to Arbroath in 1841 to work on an illustration commissioned for an edition of Sir Walter Scott’s book, ‘The Antiquary’. Scott’s story was based on Hospitalfield and it was at this time, as Allan was researching for this commission, that he met Elizabeth. After they married and out of respect for her family, Allan added Fraser to his name so becoming Patrick Allan-Fraser.

Their long and devoted marriage resulted in a complete remodeling of the house and estates. Hospitalfield became the focus for Patrick’s interests and network of friends who were, at this time, among the most progressive artists, writers and thinkers in Europe. He was fascinated by science, architecture, literature, archaeology, agriculture, music, photography and many other subjects. His extraordinary vision can be seen throughout the house; the highly crafted interiors and the range of collections which reflects his knowledge of, and interest in, contemporary art and the more liberal ideas of his time. His commitment to Angus and supporting talented creative individuals is much in evidence, he was committed to nurturing the traditional hand crafting skills in the region and commissioned many of the more ambitious carvings in the house from local crafts people and, in one or two cases he supported their progress to art college and further training.

Elizabeth Fraser died in 1873, Patrick was heart broken and set about designing a chapel to commemorate her and her parents. The Mortuary Chapel, in the Western Cemetery, Arbroath is an extraordinary miniature version of Hospitalfield House, encrusted with decoration and embellishment (see Mortuary Chapel under collections). After his wife’s death he went back to Rome for a few years becoming President of the British Academy of Art in that city to which he contributed substantial funds.

The Allan-Fraser’s had no children and before Elizabeth died they decided that, if Patrick should survive her, as happened, then his entire estate in Scotland should be held in a trust, based at Hospitalfield, to provide young people with training in the main forms of art. This provision in his Will came into effect following his death in 1890.

Over time the provisions in the Will have been reinterpreted around similar values and, since the early 20th century Hospitalfield has hosted and facilitated artists, students, educators, writers and others working within the broad themes of contemporary art, design and cultural ideas. This is a place that has had a central role in the arts and cultural ecology of Scotland for a very long time and will continue as it has; an organisation facilitating the development of cultural ideas, attentive to the required organisational shifts that enables Hospitalfield to develop a cultural programme for our time with a view to the future. For more information on this part of the history go to the part of the site 20th Century Alumni.