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Field Visit

Date 26 May 1925

Event ID 1098281

Category Recording

Type Field Visit

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1098281

Carden Tower.

All that remains of this tower is a right-angled fragment of walling standing on the precipitous right bank of the Gelly Burn overlooking Cardenden, one mile south-east of Cardenden Station. The building has been a small 16th-century house, probably oblong on plan and containing at least three storeys, the lowest of which may have been vaulted. The only feature of any interest remaining is a ruinous ‘round’ at the southwest angle which is borne on a continuous corbelling of four members; the round has been provided with shot-holes pointing downwards. The masonry is rubble, 4 ½ and 4 ¾ feet thick, but the round and its corbel are of ashlar. The tower has been 13 ½ feet wide internally, but its length is indeterminate. The masonry has been re-pointed within recent years.

HISTORICAL NOTE. In 1482 John ‘Mertyne’ or Martin of Midhope, West Lothian, granted the land of ‘Cardwan’, in the constabulary of Kinghorn, to his son Henry (1). The direct line of the Martins of Midhope came to an end, and in 1582 the King conferred on George ‘Martene’ the lands of ‘Cardoun’ with tower, manor place, &c., which had been in the royal hands for about fifty years (2). The tower had thus been erected subsequently to 1482 and before 1532. These Martins also failed, and in 1623 David Wemyss was served heir to his father in the lands and barony of ‘Cardowan’ (3).

RCAHMS 1933, visited 26 May 1925.

(1) Reg. Mag. Sig., s.a., No. 436. (2) Ibid., s.a.,No. 1556. (3) Inquis. Spec., Fife, No. 334.

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