Oliver Castle facts for kids
Oliver Castle was an old tower house from the Middle Ages. It stood in the beautiful Tweed Valley in the Scottish Borders. This castle was part of a line of special towers called peel towers. These towers were built along the Tweed River to help protect the area. The castle was later replaced by a house in the 1600s, which was then replaced by the current Oliver House in the late 1700s. For a long time, the Tweedie family has owned this property.
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History of Oliver Castle
The castle was first linked to the Clan Fraser family. It might have been named after Oliver Fraser, who gave land to Newbattle Abbey around the year 1200. Members of the Fraser family, like Sir Bernard Fraser and Sir Gilbert Fraser, were powerful leaders from Oliver Castle. They held an important job called Sheriff of Tweeddale. Later, a brave knight named Sir Simon Fraser of Oliver and Neidpath fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
How the Tweedie Family Took Over
Oliver Castle eventually passed to the Tweedie family. This happened through a marriage to Sir Simon Fraser's daughter or granddaughter. The Tweedies also gained another property called Drumelzier this way. The Scottish Marches were known for being a bit wild in those days. There were often big fights between families, especially over farm animals. For example, in 1489, a man named Thomas Porteus was accused of taking 74 lambs from Oliver Castle. These lambs belonged to William and Lawrence Tweedie.
From Castle to Houses
In the 1600s or 1700s, the Tweedie family built a new house. This house was built to replace the old medieval tower house. Then, around 1780, Thomas Tweedie of Oliver started building the house you see today, called Oliver House. It is very likely that stones from the old medieval castle were used to build these newer houses. This was a common practice back then.
What Remains Today
The area where a very old hillfort once stood is now a protected site. It is called a scheduled monument. This hillfort was built on a small hill, about 60 meters (200 feet) above the valley floor. It covered an area of about 60 by 55 meters (197 by 180 feet). You can still see two lines of defense, which look like grassy banks. Inside the fort, people have found signs of old wooden houses and later stone foundations. We don't know for sure if these remains are connected to the medieval castle. However, local stories say the castle was on this hillfort site.
Oliver House Today
The current Oliver House is located on lower ground. It is about 200 meters (650 feet) southwest of the hillfort. People still live in this house today. The house has a special stone panel with a family crest on it. This panel was moved from an older house that stood about 50 meters (164 feet) to the northwest. That older house was a typical home for a laird (a Scottish landowner). It has been changed a lot over the years. It has the date 1734 carved on it, along with the initials of James Tweedie of Oliver and his wife Margeret Ewart. Some records also say an even older date, 1649, was once carved on the old house.
