Archaeology Notes

Event ID 707581

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/707581

NT00SE 3.00 06319 03500

(NT 0632 0350) Auchen Castle (NR) (Remains of) Tunnel (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1957).

NT00SE 3.01 centred NT 063 035 Auchen Castle Policies Policies; Trackways; Water Channels; Mill (possible); Rig

For probable predecessor motte or earthwork castle on the Garpol Water (NT 0505 0402), see NT00SE 1.

For successor country house (now Auchencastle Hotel) at NT 0625 0471, see NT00SE 121.00.

Auchencass or Auchen Castle is situated 1 3/4 miles (2.8km) SW of Moffat, W of the railway, on a marshy plateau, at an altitude of 500 ft (152m) above sea level, overlooking the valley of the River Annan to the E and a deep-wooded ravine formed by the Garpol Burn to the S.

In its entirety the castle, with its elaborate system of outworks, must have presented an imposing appearance, and would be well-nigh impregnable in days before artillery was in use. It is built on a late 13th-century plan and comprises, within a great ditch and embankment, a quadrilateral enceinte, which measures some 50 yards (45.7m) either way and is surrounded by a wall 15 to 20 ft (4.5 to 6.1m) thick with cylindrical flanking towers projecting from the four angles.

The approach is from the N, crossing an outer ditch and the embankment, whence access to the enceinte would probably be gained by a drawbridge over the inner ditch leading to a forework at the W end of the N wall. The interior arrangement of the courtyard can only be determined by excavation. A walk 5 to 9 ft (1.5 to 2.7m) broad runs along the interior of the curtain wall at a height of some 5 ft (1.5m) from the courtyard level. From this walk a stair in the E wall probably led to a parapet walk round the walls. Under the stair is a chamber in the thickness of the wall, 9 ft 3 ins (2.8m) by 4 ft 1 1/2 ins (1.3m), with a recess, probably for a lantern, formed in the E wall. In the floor is a pit draining to the ditch.

The SE tower is much later than the others. The wall is only 3 ft (0.9m) thick, and is built of crude masonry.

E of the castle, the embankment widens to a plateau, surrounded by marshy ground to the N, E and S. At its southern end is placed, underground, a vaulted passage, running N and S, apparently terminating to the N in a ruinous polyhedronal apartment, now filled with debris. Whether any means of communication existed between this apartment and the courtyard is problematical. The entrance to the passage is secreted at its southern end; adjacent to it is a chamber, doubtless used as a guard chamber if the passage served the purpose of a sally port. The passage is well built, and is 5 to 7 ft (1.5 to 2.1m) high from the present floor level.

In December 1306 Roger de Kirkpatrick 'Chevaler' is Seigneur of 'Haughencas', at which time he loans money to Sir Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and Essex and Seigneur of Annandale. The place afterwards belonged to Randolph, Earl of Moray, and later on to the Douglases of Morton.

RCAHMS 1920, visited 12 May 1912.

Auchencass or Auchen Castle was built in the 13th century, partially demolished during the War of Independence, and rebuilt in the 14th century, the SE tower being of that date. The "tunnel" is of late 18th century date (H Younger 1931), the architect's plan having been found among Sir William Younger's papers. Excavations were carried out here between November 1924 and January 1925.

RCAHMS 1920; R C Reid 1927; Information from A Truckell to OS, 4 November 1958.

A moated castle generally as planned by RCAHM. The walls measure up to 5.8m in width and 4.8m high externally. Within the E wall, a passage with corbelled roof, contains a drain running from the castle interior to the moat. A well or storage tank is contained within the NW tower. On the N a small causeway probably of secondary origin leads across the moat. Other than several excavation trenches the interior is featureless.

To the N of the moat, are two rectangular fish-ponds each

with a well constructed pond-bay and probably contemporary with the castle complex. To the SE and W, outside the moat, and several banks, ditches and amorphous mounds of uncertain purpose and date. Known locally as both Auchen Castle and Auchencass.

resurveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (D W R) 12 September 1973

No change to previous field report.

Visited by OS (T R G) 24 August 1978.

(Name cited as Auchencass). Substantial remains of a late 13th century castle of enclosure probably constructed for the Kirkpatricks who held it in the first decade of the 14th century; in 1306 Roger de Kirkpatrick, 'chevaler' was lord ('seigneur') of 'Haughencas'. The defences are all roughly square on plan, first an outer rampart (probably intended to be palisaded), next a ditch, then a mound (again, probably palisaded) higher than the rapmpart, and finally a stone-walled enclosure.

J Gifford 1996.

Scheduled as 'Auchen Castle... the upstanding remains of... a 13th-century courtyard castle substantially altered in the 15th or 16th century... [which]... occupoies part of a southward spur of Longbedholm Hill...'

[Scheduled area includes fish ponds (to N of castle) and tunnel (to SE)].

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 18 March 2010.

Auchen Castle (remains of) [NAT] (name centred NT 0638 0351)

Fish Ponds [NAT] (centred NT 0365 0355)

Tunnel [NAT] (name centred NT 06380 03475)

OS (GIS) MasterMap, April 2010.