Stoneypath Tower - Photo ©
Alistair Seagroatt, 10 April 2005
Stoneypath Tower, East Lothian
Photo © Graham Barnes, 22 July 2007
Stoneypath Tower - Photo © Alistair Seagroatt, 10 April 2005 |
Stoneypath Tower, East Lothian Photo © Graham Barnes, 22 July 2007 |
Stoneypath Tower, is an L-plan tower house dating from the late sixteenth,
about 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of East Linton, and east of the Whittinghame
Water in East Lothian, Scotland.
Stoneypath Tower was at first a property of the Lyles, but past thereafter in
succession to the Hamiltons of Innerwick, the Douglases of Whittinghame, and
the Setons. It some stage in may have been blown up. The building is a Scheduled
Ancient Monument. It has now been restored.
Defended by three sides the tower stands inn a promontory. It may include part
of a keep built in the previous century. The original entrance, approached by
an external stair, has been sealed. A turnpike stair reached all floors. On
the second floor was the hall. The thickness of the wall enclosed a prison.
The keep was build of rubble, with some freestone dressings. There were originally three stories. The wing contained two chambers.
Nunraw Abbey is about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) to the south.
--STONEYPATH TOWER, Haddingtonshire.
This interesting specimen of an L tower exists in a wofully dilapidated state about two miles up the Papana Water from Whittingham Tower, and near to wdiat was the Nunnery of Nunraw, now converted into a modern mansion-house. The situation of Stoneypath, in a little-frequented glen, is very fine; it stands on the edge of a high and steep bank rising up from the wooded dell through which flows the Papana Burn, and as seen from the bed of the stream the tower forms a striking object. The main block measures over the walls 44 feet by 31 feet, the projection being 27 feet by 19 feet. It contains a central vault, which supports the floor of the hall, 19 feet high. The space under this vault is as usual divided with an intermediate floor. The tower was also vaulted at the roof, and between this vault and the hall floor it contained two full floors, and one floor in the vault. The entrance was at the south side, at the level of the upper floor, under the central vault, and about six or eight feet above the ground. From this floor access was gained to the circular staircase at the north side, which led down to the basement floor and up to the top. The total height to the top of the staircase is about 60 feet above the ground floor. The position of this staircase on the plan is peculiar. Frequently the staircase is a square structure projected in the re-entering angle, of which arrangement several examples have been given. But at Stoneypath the stair turret is as it were folded over, and placed inside the re-entering angle. In the small apartment at the north-west corner of the basement floor, in the thickness of the wall, was, we understand, the well, now heaped full of ruins; but we are informed that it existed in the memory of persons now living. The room in the wing at the north-east corner is low and vaulted, and lighted by a narrow window, which goes up in the thickness of the wall to a considerable height above the ceiling, so that it resembles a chimney flue. This was probably used as a dungeon. The hall floor is very ruinous, but for such a small tower the hall has been well finished, having been lighted with lofty arched windows, provided with stone seats, and one of them having an ambry above the seat with an O.G. arched lintel. The ruinous fireplace at the east end is very remarkable. It has measured about 9 feet 6 inches by 7 feet 6 inches, having a flat arched opening to the hall. This fireplace seems to have been contrived "a double debt to pay," being at once the hall fireplace and the kitchen. It has the usual stone sink and drain to the outijide, and is lighted by a small high window. The small apartment about 7 feet 6 inches square adjoining probably entered off the fireplace, and may have been used as a part of the kitchen. The turret roof, built with stone, on the top of the staircase still exists, but it is in a very threatening condition, and unless some repairs are made on it, it will soon fall to the ground. It is a picturesque structure of a lofty bee-hive shape, unlike that of any other tower known to us. There is a projecting garde-robe from the upper floor at the west end, and remains of a circular corbelled turret at the north-east corner.
The name of John Lyle of Stoneypath occurs as early as 1446 in a charter by James II. to Robert de Lyle of Duchal, and on a shield near the south-west corner of the tower what seems to be the Lyle arms are scratched rather than carved. The arms are fretty of six pieces. At a later time the tower belonged to the Douglas family. The building probably belongs to the early part of the sixteenth century, but there are no features to enable its age to be accurately determined.
THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND BY DAVID MACGIBBON AND THOMAS ROSS, 1889--