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Cowdenknowes House

Castle (Medieval), Country House (Period Unassigned), Tower House (Medieval)

Site Name Cowdenknowes House

Classification Castle (Medieval), Country House (Period Unassigned), Tower House (Medieval)

Alternative Name(s) Sorrowlessfield; Coudenknollis

Canmore ID 55523

Site Number NT53NE 4

NGR NT 57728 37038

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/55523

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Digital Images


First 100 images shown. See the Collections panel (below) for a link to all digital images.

Administrative Areas

  • Council Scottish Borders, The
  • Parish Earlston
  • Former Region Borders
  • Former District Ettrick And Lauderdale
  • Former County Berwickshire

Archaeology Notes

NT53NE 4.00 57728 37038

NT53NE 4.01 NT 5794 3704 Stables

NT53NE 4.02 NT 5754 3718 Walled Garden

NT53NE 4.03 NT 5796 3720 Gate-Lodge

NT53NE 4.04 NT 57735 37001 Old Tower/Dungeon to S

(NT 5773 3704) Cowdenknowes (NR)

(NT 5773 3700) Tower (NR)

OS 6" map (1967)

The fortalice and manor place on the lands of 'Coudenknollis' are recorded in 1493. The sole remains of this castle, apparently destroyed early in the 16th century, are the base of the tower at the S corner of the lawn.

Hist Berwickshire Natur Club 1956

Cowdenknowes: The existing buildings constitute the remains of a large castle on to which has been grafted extensive modern work. The present house consists of a 16th century tower, attached only by a modern wing to the mansionhouse proper, the basement of which also dates from the 16th century. There are remains of another probably contemporary tower about 30 yds to the S, and from these detached portions it would appear that the original castle had been an extensive structure, on the courtyard plan, with main block, flanking towers, and curtain walls.

The tower is oblong on plan and is four storeys in height, its basement chamber being partly below ground level, due to the sloping nature of the site. Its rubble walls are 3 1/2 ft in thickness. The parapet which crowns the N and S walls only is of dressed stone, and apparently dates from a slightly later period than the rest of the tower. The corbelling on which the parapet is projected is of late type, and is provided with quatrefoil gun-loops. In the centre of each wall, above the corbelling, are large empty recesses; that on the E wall is dated 1554, obvioulsy re-cut. This date appears to be too early for the top storey, but no doubt applies to the rest of the tower. At ground floor level on the N side is a large modern doorway, now the main entrance to the mansion. The main house has been greatly altered and extended, but the basement is original and consists of a main block, with five vaulted chambers, and two small wings projecting eastwards; the wing to the SE is dated 1574.

Of the old tower to the S, only the basement and semi-subterranean chambers remain; an interesting feature is the two dungeons, the first reached only by a hatch in the floor of the main basement, and the second by a trap-door in the floor of the first.

Home of Cowdenknowes was one of the foremost supporters of the Protestant lords during the reigns of Mary Queen of Scots and James VI.

RCAHMS 1915, visited 1912; N Tranter 1962

When visited in 1955, Cowdenknowes was occupied and in excellent repair; the small isolated tower was as described.

Visited by OS (JD) 22 February 1955

Architecture Notes

NMRS REFERENCE:

NMRS PHOTOGRAPHIC SURVEY OF COWDENKNOWES DRAWINGS

A small collection of views and plans for Cowdenknowes acquired, with the house, by Miss Scott Plummer Cowdenknowes [whose permission to reproduce]. Copied 1993.

This small collection includes an important early photograph of 1862, before the Baronial additions; a presentation perspective of additions, by Brown and Wardrop, 1867, which was not executed, and several other plans which explain the development of the house.

NMRS have contract drawings by Watherston the Builders for transforming the old tower into the entrance hall in 1883. See also 'Sime's Memorabilia' in the NMRS.

EXTERNAL REFERENCE:

S.R.O. RHP 9450/51 1835 - lithograph of plan of estate and vignette of house

Activities

Field Visit (15 April 1912)

127. Cowdenknowes.

This mansion-house (figs. 67 [DP 225514] and 68 [SC 1173014]) is situated on the east bank of the Leader, distant about 1 mile to the south of Earlston, and has been enlarged in modern times. It appears that in the 16th century it consisted of three distinct parts-a tower or keep on the north-east and highest part of the ground; at a lower level, and to the south-west, a mansion-house bearing date 1574; and 90 feet or so to the south of this, on the steep, sloping river bank, a small tower now in ruin. These buildings doubtless represent portions of a large castle connected by curtain walls and enclosing a considerable courtyard now occupied as open gardens.

The tower is three storeys in height and oblong on plan, measuring 21 feet 6 inches by 18 feet over walls averaging 3 feet 6 inches in thickness, and having a wheel-staircase 5 feet 6 inches square, formed at the south angle, which gives access to the attic and parapet-walks from the first-floor level. The main entrance to the mansion-house is by a recently constructed doorway in the north-east wall of the tower which now serves as an outer vestibule giving access to a modern inner hall on the level of the first floor, occupying what was formerly the open space to the south-west. The corbelling at the level of the parapet is distinctly characteristic of the 17th century. It consists of three small continuous members supporting a corbel-table decorated with a series of alternate raised and sunk squares, each of the latter containing a: small raised circle, and two decorative quatrefoil shot-holes flanking the lower angles of the recessed panels formed in the exterior of the parapet and gable walls. The upper line of the corbel-table is defined by a moulded string-course which is returned round the sills of the wall recesses. The parapets, with their four embrasures, appear to have been built at a subsequent period, when the gables and chimney were also added. The date 1554 has been re-cut in relief on the south-eastern wall of the tower, and may possibly refer to the period of its foundation.

The other ancient portion of the mansion-house is the south-eastern basement, which, owing to the natural slope of the ground southwards, is some 10 feet below the ground-floor level of the tower. It consists of five vaulted apartments measuring about 87 feet by 21 feet 6 inches over walls averaging from 3 feet 3 inches to 4 feet in thickness. At the north-east angle of this portion and at the re-entering angle formed by a modern addition to the south-west, there are two small wings (fig. 69 [SC 1173015]) projecting for a distance of some 9 feet in a south-easterly direction and measuring respectively about 9 feet by 8, and 7 feet square within walls averaging 2 feet 6 inches in thickness. Access to the small south-east wing, which contains a wheel stair, is gained by an ornate doorway (fig. 70 [SC 1173016]) formed in the south-east wall, having a fillet-and-hollow moulding wrought on the jambs and side pilasters of half-round section with the cabled form of decoration. The lintel is of one stone, with a moulded cornice and plain frieze bearing the letters S·I·H-V·K·H carved in relief, followed by the date 1574. The upper surface of the cornice supports a sloping copestone finishing at the wall face in the form of a plain bead and having a rounded termination over each pilaster. At a height of about 3 feet above the first-floor window-sills there is a projecting corbel-course enriched with a double row of billets. Above this level the masonry appears to have been renewed. The south-east wing is vaulted on the ground floor, and has originally been entered by a doorway formed moulded bases, while the entablature is surmounted by a decorative pediment containing the initials of Sir James Home carved in relief in monogram. A projecting corbel-course of the same type as that on the south-west wing is carried round the three sides of this wing. Above it is a corbel-table having an inscription carved in relief within raised margins bearing the legend - FEIR GOD· FLEE FROM SYNNE . AND MAK FOR YE LYFE EVERLASTING. The upper line of the inscription is emphasised by an enriched string-course.

See Cast. and Dom. Arch., iii. p. 425 (illus.); Ber. Nat. Club,1863-68, p. 268.

RCAHMS 1915, visited 15 April 1912.

Aerial Photographic Interpretation (1995)

The House and policies are visible on vertical air photographs (OS 73/324/007-8, flown 1973).

Information from RCAHMS, 1995

Aerial Photography (3 July 2003)

Sbc Note

Visibility: This is an upstanding building.

Information from Scottish Borders Council.

References

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