Barr Castle (East Ayrshire)
Barr Castle is a tower castle in Galston in the Scottish management unit East Ayrshire .
description
The five-story, red sandstone tower stands on a rocky hill near the Burn Anne stream in the urban area. It was also called Lockhart's Tower .
The entrance to Barr Castle is on the first floor. A staircase leads up there. The tower has a practical, if not original, roof, which does not prevent the view of the parapet supported by consoles . The lower parts of the four corner towers can still be seen.
Although the original character of the building was lost due to the later renovations, Historic Scotland has listed the castle as a Category B Historic Building.
history
Barr Castle was believed to have been built in the 15th century to control the nearby access points to the Irvine Valley .
The castle was built for the Lockhart family , owners of the Galston Barony and staunch opponents of the Catholic creed . In 1670 the Campbells bought the property from nearby Cessnock Castle . Today the tower castle serves as a Masonic lodge and is also open to the public from time to time.
William Wallace is said to have found refuge in the tower from English soldiers who pursued him. He eventually escaped the siege by climbing down an overhanging tree.
In an old charter dated March 12, 1438, John Lockhart, Lord of Barr , undertook to pay an annual sum to the chaplain for the reading of three masses per year for his soul at the altar of St. Peter's Church in Ardrossan .
In August 1528, James Campbell of Lochlee kidnapped Alexander Pawtown from Mauchline and locked him in the dungeon ("Spelunca") of Galston Tower for five days in order to extort the sum of £ 20.
Well-known reformer and Protestant martyr George Wishart preached at Barr Castle in 1545, and John Knox also preached there in 1556 . Both were under the protection of John Lockhart, Lord of Barr , and his co-religionists.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ a b c Thorbjørn Campbell: Ayrshire. A Historical Guide. Birlinn, Edinburgh 2003. ISBN 1-84158-267-0 . P. 142.
- ^ A b Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership . East Ayrshire ( Memento of the original from November 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved December 5, 2009.
- ↑ St Peter in Chains website . Retrieved March 3, 2017.
- ^ Protocol book of Gavin Ros . Volume 2. Scottish Record Society, 1907. p. 187.
Web links
Coordinates: 55 ° 35 ′ 54.5 " N , 4 ° 22 ′ 46.9" W.