Abbot's Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Abbot's Tower |
|
|---|---|
| Near New Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland UK |
|
Abbot's Tower in 2008
|
|
 Abbot's Tower
|
|
| Coordinates | 54°59′02″N 3°36′21″W / 54.98376°N 3.605837°W |
| Type | Tower house |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Restored |
| Site history | |
| Built | Around 1580 |
| In use | until c.1627; reoccupied in 1990s |
| Materials | Stone |
Abbot's Tower is an old tower house built in the late 1500s. It is located near New Abbey in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. An Abbot from Sweetheart Abbey built it.
The tower was fixed up in the early 1990s. Today, it is a private home. It also works as a bed and breakfast, where people can stay overnight. Make sure not to mix up this tower with the Abbot's Tower at Alnwick Castle.
History of the Tower
This tower was built around 1580. It was meant to be a safe place for Gilbert Broun. He was the last Abbot of Sweetheart Abbey. This abbey was run by a group of monks called Cistercians.
During the Scottish Reformation, many religious changes happened in Scotland. Even though the abbey was closed, Abbot Broun kept following his beliefs. He was later arrested in 1605 and had to leave the country.
What the Tower Looks Like
Abbot's Tower is an "L-plan" tower house. This means it is shaped like the letter 'L'. The main part was about 28.75 feet (8.76 meters) long and 23.6 feet (7.2 meters) wide. A smaller wing for the staircase stuck out about 8.5 feet (2.6 meters).
The walls were made of rough stone. They were about 4 feet (1.2 meters) thick. Each floor, or storey, had only one room. Every room had a fireplace. There was also a small toilet, called a garderobe, in one corner.
By 1892, the tower was mostly a ruin. Parts of the walls were still standing about 32 feet (9.8 meters) high. The west wall and the staircase wall were almost complete. But other parts had fallen down. People had also taken some of the cut stones.
In the early 1990s, experts looked closely at the site. They found old parts of other buildings nearby. They also found what might have been the foundations of a barmkin. A barmkin was a protective wall around the tower.
The tower was then fixed up and made into a private home. Since 2020, the owners have also used it as a bed and breakfast.
