Gilnockie Tower

Gilnockie Tower

Gilnockie Tower is 16th century tower house, located at the hamlet of Hollows, 2.3km north of Canonbie, in Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. The tower is situated on the west bank of the River Esk. It was originally known as Hollows Tower. Gilnockie Castle is a separate, but nearby site.

History

Hollows was built around 1520 by Johnnie Armstrong, famous Border outlaw and younger brother of Thomas Armstrong of Mangerton. In 1528 the tower was burned by Sir Christopher Dacre, English Warden of the Western Marches, and in 1530 Johnnie and 50 followers were hanged by James V, after being tricked into joining a hunting party, an event recorded in the ballad "Johnnie Armstrong".

The tower was rebuilt, but was damaged again by English raids in the 1540s, only to be rebuilt again with a new parapet walk, and a beacon stance on the gable.

Restoration

In 1978 the tower was a roofless ruin, when it was bought by Major T.C.R. Armstrong-Wilson, who undertook a full restoration. It was re-roofed, and floors were reconstructed at four levels. Authentic oak doors were fitted to all rooms. The interior was plastered out, and electricity and water taken in to the building. The tower is a Category A listed building, and all work was carried out in consultation with the Scottish Development Department (Ancient Monuments). The tower now houses the Clan Armstrong centre.

The tower

Gilnockie Tower is a simple rubble-built tower house of four storeys plus an attic, measuring around 10 by 7.6 metres at the base. The basement comprises a vaulted cellar, with gun loops to south, west and north. A spiral stair in the south-west corner leads up to the first floor, devoted to a hall. Above this are two further rooms, with the attic space above between the crow-stepped gables. At the top of the wall, corbels show the presence of a parapet walk, although this does not survive. A notable feature is the beacon stance, corbelled out from the south gable at the highest point of the building.

The oldest part of the tower is thought to be the large stone by the doorway into the basement. Carvings of spirals and a key-like symbol are believed to date from the 2nd millennium BC, with the slab having been reused in the building. The stone is thought to have originated from near Langhoradelm.

Gilnockie Castle

The site now known as Gilnockie Castle lies at the east end of Gilnockie Bridge, which crosses the Esk in Hollows, just 500m to the south east (gbmappingsmall|NY386782). Today, only an earthwork remains, and there is some doubt as to whether a tower stood here, although it is possible that the earlier tower destroyed in 1528 was located here.

References

*Coventry, Martin "The Castles of Scotland (3rd Edition)", Goblinshead, 2001
*Gifford, John "The Buildings of Scotland: Dumfries and Galloway", Penguin, 1996
*Salter, Mike "The Castles of South West Scotland", Folly Publications, 1993

*National Monuments Record of Scotland Site Reference NY37NE 3.0 (Gilnockie Tower) [http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=67509]
*NMRS Site Reference NY37NE 4.0 (Gilnockie Castle) [http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=67519]
*Historic Scotland Listed Building Report [http://hsewsf.sedsh.gov.uk/hslive/portal.hsstart?P_HBNUM=3527]

External links

* [http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.newcandig_details_imgsummary?inumlink=67509 RCAHMS photo survey of the ruined castle, October 1976 ]
* [http://www.ukattraction.com/a_print/print_entries_frames.php?&e=487ODJ&a=0 Clan Armstrong Centre at Gilnockie Tower]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Clan Armstrong — Crest badge …   Wikipedia

  • Clan Armstrong — Clan Abzeichen …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liste des châteaux du Dumfries and Galloway — Situation du Dumfries and Galloway au sein de l Écosse. Cette liste recense les principaux châteaux du council area du Dumfries and Galloway en Écosse. Nom Type Date …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Anglo-Scottish border — Border country redirects here. For the novel, see Border Country (novel). Map of the modern border Scotland is to the north and England is to the south …   Wikipedia

  • Border Reivers — For other uses, see Border Reivers (disambiguation). Reiver redirects here. For the radio station, see Reiver FM. Reivers redirects here. For the American actor, see David Reivers. For other uses, see The Reivers (disambiguation). Reivers at… …   Wikipedia

  • Canonbie — infobox UK place country = Scotland official name = Canonbie gaelic name = scots name = map type = Scotland latitude = 55.07855 longitude = 2.95229 population = 390 (2001 Census) os grid reference = NY393764 unitary scotland = Dumfries and… …   Wikipedia

  • Debatable Lands — The Debatable Lands, also known as Debatable ground, batable ground or thriep lands,[1] was land lying between Scotland and England, formerly in question to which it belonged, when they were distinct kingdoms. It signifies the same thing as… …   Wikipedia

  • List of state schools in Scotland/Council Areas A-D (excluding cities) — The following is a partial list of currently operating state schools in the unitary council areas of Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire and Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, United Kingdom. You may also find of use to find a …   Wikipedia

  • Clan Little — is a Scottish clan of the Borders. The clan does not currently have a chief and is therefore considered an armigerous clan. Clan Little Crest badge …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”