Staneyhill Tower

Staneyhill, c.1630

Fragmentary relic of the outstanding seat of the Shairps of Staneyhill; octagonal stair-tower with buckle-quoins, strapwork, superb broken pedimented doorway of a highly fashionable villa of the King's purse-keeper, possibly by Sir James Murray of Kilbaberton or William Ayton. The Obelisk Gates may well be Staneyhill's.

The mausoleum, 1829, by William Burn, a heavily shouldered, Gothic, vaulted and stone-roofed monument guarded by crouching and snarling griffins; the adjacent Temple of Peace a delicate wrought-iron dome supported on a ring of Corinthian columns. Butlaw Lodge, a pretty cottage ornée, projecting round entrance with classical porch, round-headed windows and conical (perhaps originally thatched) roof, has a striking Scots extension to the rear, 1972, by Michael Shepley, much influenced by Peter Womersley's doctors' surgery in Kelso (see Borders and Berwick in this series).

Taken from "West Lothian: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Stuart Eydmann, Richard Jaques and Charles McKean, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

NT07NE 11.00 09166 78511.

NT07NE 11.01 09410 78562 Obelisk Gate Gate Piers

(NT 0916 7851) Staneyhill Tower (NR) (remains of)

OS 6" map (1967)

This fragment of Staneyhill Tower, a 17th century mansion, consists primarily of an octagonal (sic - hexagonal is intended) stair tower in the re-entrant angle of the building, built on the L-plan. The walls and vaults of the ground floor still, for the most part, remain.

RCAHMS 1929, visited 1926; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1888

As described.

Visited by OS (JLD) 22 January 1953 and (DWR) 28 March 1974.

Staneyhill, c. 1630. Fragmentary relic of the outstanding seat of the Shairps of Staneyhill. Octagonal stair-tower with buckle-quoins, strapwork, superb broken pedimented doorway of a highly fashionable house, possibly by Sir James Murray of Kilbaberton, or William Ayton.

R Jaques and C McKean 1994.