Whittingehame Tower
Whittingehame Tower is a tower house in the Scottish hamlet of Whittingehame in the East Lothian Council Area . In 1971 the building was included in the Scottish List of Monuments in the highest category A. The associated lodge is classified separately as a Category A monument.
history
Prior to 1372, the Whittingehame lands were owned by the Earls of March . By marriage they fell to the Douglas clan in that year and remained in their possession for centuries. Whittingehame Tower was built in the late 15th or early 16th century. Allegedly, in the 1560s, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, met on the estate for the assassination of Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley , consort of Queen Mary of Scots and formally King of Scotland, prepare. In 1660 the lands came into the possession of the Seton clan and later the Hay clan through marriage . In 1817 they sold Wittingehame to James Balfour . He had the Whittingehame House built around 300 m to the west . After James Balfour's death, the property passed to his son James Maitland Balfour , who in turn bequeathed it to the future Prime Minister Arthur James Balfour . The lands remained in family ownership until 1963.
description
Whittingehame Tower is located on the creek Whittingehame Water in the scattered settlement Whittingehame. The red sandstone building was once part of a larger fortress, of which only the residential tower remains. The tower closes with a cantilevered parapet. A pointed arch window on the west facade probably dates from the 19th century. The roof of the perched caphouse has a stepped gable and is covered with slate. A seven-axis wing is attached to the southwest side, which was probably revised in the early 19th century. A flat extension on the south side dates from the 20th century.
The ground floor rooms have a vaulted ceiling . The unique stucco ceilings on the first floor should be emphasized. They are ornamented with heraldic , mystical and fertility symbols. The work has parallels to that at Lennoxlove House and the House of the Binns and may have been carried out by the same people.
Lodge
The lodges flank a former access road from the north. They are located around 250 m north of the Tower House. They are likely from the early 18th century. The design shows parallels to the lodges of Mavisbank House . These were designed by William Adam , which could indicate that the well-known architect was involved in the present building. The masonry consists of blocks of red sandstone, with a later extension made of quarry stone. The roofs are covered with gray slate.
The western lodge is largely in its original condition. On the north facade, pilasters with ornamented capitals support an architrave . A blown gable crowns the central entrance. Friezes with metopes and triglyphs run above the windows . The north side of the eastern lodge is identical to that of the western one. In contrast, however, it was expanded into an L-shaped building around 1820. It is decorated with Doric pilasters.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ a b c Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ Garden and Designed Landscape - entry . In: Historic Scotland .
Web links
- Entry on Whittingehame Tower in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database
Coordinates: 55 ° 57 ′ 2.2 " N , 2 ° 38 ′ 18.4" W.