Archaeology Notes

Event ID 731371

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/731371

NY48NE 3 4797 8534

(NY 4797 8533) Mangerton Tower (NR) (Remains of)

OS 6" map (1957)

Mangerton Tower has been reduced to its lowest storey, the walls on two sides being represented by little more than foundations, and having a maximum height of 8 ft at the SW angle. It has been oblong on plan, measuring 34 ft 3 ins N-S by 26 ft 3 ins over walls 5 ft thick. An armorial panel, dated 15 (8?)3 has been inserted in the W wall.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1931

Alexander Armstrong, laird of Mangerton, is noted in 1378; throughout the 16th century the Armstrong chiefs resided at Mangerton, but in 1629, Francis Scott was provided with the lands of Mangerton, along with 'the castle, tower and fortalice thereof'.

W A Armstrong 1960

Mangerton Tower (name verified) is situated on low-lying level pastureland. The NW wall is 10.5m long and survives intact up to a height of 2.6m; a portion of inner wall face indicates a thickness of 1.6m. The NE and SW walls are now only 3.8m and 7.3m long respectively and there is no surface trace of the SE wall. The interior is filled with rubble which is now turf-covered. The armorial stone is as described. The tower is recored on an 1818 estate map as The Old Castle of Mangerton (M Robson, Hawick Museum).

Surveyed at 1:2500.

The RCAHMS state that this tower was burned in 1543, 1569 and laid waste in 1602.

Visited by OS (MJF) 26 July 1979