Kirkhope Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirkhope Tower |
|
|---|---|
| Ettrick Valley, Selkirkshire, Scotland | |
Kirkhope Tower beneath Kirkhope Hill
|
|
| Coordinates | 55°30′55″N 2°59′07″W / 55.51528°N 2.98528°W |
| Type | Pele tower with Barmekin |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Condition | Occupied as a residence |
| Site history | |
| Built | early 16th century |
| Built by | Walter Scott of Harden |
| In use | 16th century to present |
| Materials | Stone |
Kirkhope Tower is an old Scottish tower, known as a Pele tower. It stands in the Ettrick Valley in Selkirkshire, which is now part of the Scottish Borders. This historic tower is about one mile northwest of Ettrickbridge. It is also about seven miles (11 km) from the town of Selkirk.
Contents
Building Kirkhope Tower
What is Kirkhope Tower?
Kirkhope Tower is a strong, square-shaped building made from local stone. It is quite remote and looks very serious. The tower has four main floors, plus a small attic floor at the very top. Its windows are small and have simple arches above them. Most windows are high up, more than thirty feet from the ground. The tower sits on rough land that slopes steeply down into the valley.
Ground Floor Details
The ground floor of the tower has a strong, arched ceiling. You can get in through a small door that could be easily blocked with an iron gate, called a yett. A single window on the opposite wall lets in a little light. This window was placed so attackers could not see or get inside the room. To reach the upper floors, there was a wooden staircase near the entrance.
First Floor Layout
The first floor of Kirkhope Tower likely held the main hall. This was a large room where people would gather. To go up to the floors above, you had to cross this room to find a spiral staircase. The main entrance to the tower was also on this floor. In times of danger, a wooden ladder or stair could be pulled up inside, making the ground floor door very secure.
Upper Living Floors
The second and third floors were used as living spaces. These rooms were for the Laird (the lord or owner) and his family. Strong oak beams supported the wooden floors between these levels.
Top of the Tower
At the very top of the tower, there are two rectangular turrets. These are small towers found in the corners of the roof. One of them covers the spiral staircase that comes up from below. There are also walkways along the top walls on three sides. The fourth side is taken up by chimneys for the fireplaces on the lower floors. The roof is supported by simple stone brackets called Corbels. The fact that it has covered turrets, rather than open ones, suggests it was built a bit later than some other towers.
Outside the Tower
Around the tower, you can still see parts of the old Barmkin wall. This wall once created a protected yard around the tower. In dangerous times, people and their animals could find safety inside this yard.
Kirkhope Tower's Past
Why Was It Built?
We don't have exact records of when Kirkhope Tower was built. However, it was likely constructed in the early 1500s. This was because of a Scottish law from 1535. This law said that important landowners in the Borderlands had to build strong stone walls, called barmkins. These walls had to be big enough to protect them, their tenants, and their goods during troubled times. The law also suggested building a tower inside the barmkin if they wanted. Smaller landowners were told to build "pelis" or strongholds for their safety. All these buildings had to be finished within two years.
The Rough Wooing
Kirkhope Tower was attacked and burned during a conflict known as the Rough Wooing. This was when Henry VIII of England tried to force Mary, Queen of Scots to marry his son. The actual attack on Kirkhope was carried out by a group called the Armstrongs, who were known for raiding across the border.
Auld Wat Scott of Harden
Walter Scott of Harden was a famous Border Reiver. Reivers were groups of people who raided across the border between Scotland and England. Kirkhope Tower was used as a home for the oldest sons of the Scott family of Harden Castle. Young Wat Scott brought his wife, Mary Scott of Dryhope, to Kirkhope. She was known as the "Flower of Yarrow" and was famous for her beauty. Wat Scott was known for being fierce. He later supported Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell. There was even an attempt to arrest him in 1592 by James VI. Wat Scott is remembered in many old songs. One story says his wife once served him his spurs on a platter for dinner. This was a signal that their food stores were empty, and he needed to gather his men for a raid.
Later Years and Today
In the early 1700s, Kirkhope Tower became the property of Anne Scott, 1st Duchess of Buccleuch. By the mid-1800s, the tower was left to fall apart.
In 1907, a Scottish poet named Will H. Ogilvie wrote a poem about Kirkhope Tower. He wrote about its past glory compared to its ruined state at the time.
I climb by the broken stairway; the great grey wall
Runs fair and free to the roof, uncrossed of beam;
And that that was lady's bower, and this that was hall
Where the strong men feasted, are one; and again I dream,
Kirkhope Tower was saved from ruin in the late 1900s. By 1996, it was being used as a private home again. It is now owned by Peter Clarke. He was once a politician and is a landowner. Mr. Clarke was also a spokesperson for the Wild Beasts Trust, a group that wanted to bring many wild animals back to the United Kingdom.
In 2007, Peter Clarke gave a tour of Kirkhope Tower on a BBC TV show called Castle in the Country. This episode first aired on July 16, 2008.
Kirkhope Tower and its old barmkin wall are now protected. They are considered a scheduled monument and a Category A listed building by Historic Environment Scotland. This means they are very important historical sites.
As of April 2019, the tower was put up for sale.
