Note

Date 5 July 2022

Event ID 1138963

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Note

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1138963

Little is known of the history of Tranent Tower; it may have been built by the Seton family in the late 16th century. About the beginning of the 17th century, the property was acquired by the Vallance family who retained it until the 19th century. In the early 20th century the tower was in use as a stable and hayloft.

Tranent Tower is a small tower house that was probably built in the late 16th century. It consists of a rectangular block of two storeys above a barrel-vaulted basement, with a wing containing the spiral stair at the south-west corner.

The walls are built of a buff/brown sandstone rubble. At the head of the stair there appears originally to have been a corbelled out watch-chamber which was later converted into a dovecote covered by a single-pitch roof. The gables were crow-stepped and the roof was still pan tiled in the mid-20th century, although this is unlikely to have been its original covering and the upper storey may have been considerably reworked.

The entrance door and the majority of the windows are through the south wall, suggesting there may have been a barmkin on this side, but of this nothing remains. It is possible that the cottage to the west may incorporate parts of a structure built within such a courtyard.

Internally the tower is subdivided on each floor by a cross wall; these walls are evidently secondary, but appear to be relatively early insertions. It seems likely there were always cross partitions but possibly originally in a less permanent form. The first floor hall has several features of interest, including a large blocked fireplace, a lavabo, aumbries and perhaps a buffet recess in the north wall.

C McWilliam 1978; RCAHMS 1924; N Tranter 1962

Information from the HES Castle Conservation Register, 5 July 2022