Archaeology Notes

Event ID 714536

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/714536

NT37SE 3 39026 74064

See also NT37SE 22

(NT 3902 7405) Preston Tower (NR)

OS 6" map (1966)

Preston Tower, which dates mainly from the 15th century, stands within a 17th century enclosure wall. L-shaped on plan, the tower measures 34' N-S by 39 1/2' transversely over walls which are 6' 9" thick in the main block, and 4' thick in the wing. It stands 67' high, the top 21' of which, within a parapet walk, is a 17th c. addition. A monogram dated 1626 on the S side gave the date of this addition, though now only the first two figures remain. Initials on the E pediment record the repair of this part after its burning in 1650, by Cromwell's soldiers after the Battle of Dunbar. It was also burned in 1544 by the English under the Earl of Hereford; and finally accidentally set on fire in 1663 and never again occupied.

Preston belonged to a branch of the Hamiltons from the latter half of the 14th century, and the tower was almost certainly built by Sir Robert Hamilton, who inherited the estates c.1460.

RCAHMS 1924, visited 1913; T Ross 1905

As described.

Visited by OS (RD) 4 January 1972

NT 390 740 The insertion of floodlighting by East Lothian District Council necessitated digging cable trenches on three sides of the tower at Preston (NMRS NT37SE 3). A scheduled monument, the tower was probably built in the 15th century and a further two storeys were added in the 17th century. Examination of the trenches revealed that the upper deposit consisted of garden soil and in many areas the trench did not penetrate this deposit. Where the topsoil was thin, archaeological features were noted. These consisted of a cobbled path leading to the entrance on the ground floor (SE corner), a spread of sand with mortar around the E and N sides of the tower and, under this, a layer of grey soil containing many stone spalls which lay directly on orange boulder clay. The grey deposit may represent a construction level but, like the sand with mortar, may simply have been a working surface. The foundations of a wall ran from the SE corner of the tower, E to the present boundary wall. Only modern artefacts were recovered, from the bottom of the garden soil.

Sponsor: East Lothian District Council.

AOC (Scotland) Ltd 1996.

Scheduled with NT37SE 22 as Preston Tower and Dovecot.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 December 2000.