Liberton Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liberton Tower |
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| Edinburgh, Scotland | |
Liberton Tower
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 Liberton Tower
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| Coordinates | 55°54′52″N 3°10′38″W / 55.9145774°N 3.1773502°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 15th century |
Liberton Tower is an old, strong building called a tower house. It has four floors and a square shape. You can find it in Liberton, a part of Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on the east side of the Braid Hills.
History of Liberton Tower
Liberton Tower is located in an area once known as Over or Upper Liberton. The first owners of the tower were the Dalmahoy family. You can see their family symbol carved on a stone panel on the south wall. Records show they owned the tower as far back as 1453. We do not know who owned it before that time.
Later, the tower went to a part of the Forrester family, who lived in Corstorphine. After that, it was sold to William Little. He was a very important leader in Edinburgh, known as the Provost of Edinburgh, in 1586 and 1591. Provost Little built a new house nearby called Liberton House. Because of this, Liberton Tower was left empty around 1610. For many years after, it was used to store farm goods.
Evidence suggests that Liberton Tower was part of the fighting around Edinburgh in 1650. This was when Oliver Cromwell and his army invaded Edinburgh. This event was part of the Third English Civil War. Signs of this fighting include pieces of charcoal and broken pottery found at the tower. Also, the top protective walls, called parapets, were removed or damaged. Cannonballs were even found in fields close by.
Design and Features
Liberton Tower is a great example of what a noble family's home looked like during its time. It is special because it has not been changed much over the centuries. The tower looks simple, with only small windows that are not placed evenly. It is covered in a special yellow rough plaster called harling. Some people have described it as looking "grim and ponderous," meaning serious and heavy.
The tower is shaped like a rectangle. It measures about 34 feet 9 inches (10.6 meters) from east to west. It is about 25 feet 9 inches (7.8 meters) from north to south.
This 15th-century building is very well kept. It was carefully fixed up in 1994. Today, people can rent it for holidays.
