Castlelaw
Country House (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Castlelaw
Classification Country House (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) The Castle
Canmore ID 59627
Site Number NT84SW 22
NGR NT 81208 41930
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/59627
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Coldstream
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Berwickshire
- Former County Berwickshire
NT84SW 22 81208 41930
This country house was never completed and is depicted on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Berwickshire 1900, sheet xxix NW).
Information from RCAHMS (MMB) 10 February 2005
This possible incomplete country house is situated on a level area of ground above The Leet Water about 240m NW of The Mount, a motte earthwork (NT84SW 2.00).
It consists of a SW-facing single bow fronted two-storey building with a pitched roof, which has now almost entirely collapsed internally. There is evidence for a three-storey building visible on the SE-facing wall. The bow-fronted facade is in dressed sandstone with a stringcourse between the ground and first floors, stone sills and lintels to the windows. There are three bays; some with fragmentary remains of the sash and case frames parts of the wooden shutters survives.
In the SE-facing wall there is evidence of a later door with porch with a small window immediate to the NE. The wall shows evidence of a pitched roofline, possibly of a porch, above the door. Brickwork around the wooden framing of the door has been revealed by the more recent removal of what may have been this porch. Above the porch roofline is the remnant of a relieving arch. Above this entrance there is evidence for a three storey building seen in three windows in filled with random rubble and running at right angles and the full height the wall, the stub ends to three walls, suggesting an earlier building or an extension. The presence of a large stone fireplace at ground level which appears of older date than the late 18th early 19th century bow fronted house, in this part of the building would also suggest a structure of different date.
In the NE-facing wall are further windows, one at second floor level, now infilled with random rubble and at ground floor level two entrances or windows with the remains of two relieving arches above the stone lintels, one entrance retains the stone jambs, both in filled with random rubble. These openings may relate to the roofed buildings around a courtyard, which extended outwards from this wall as shown on the 25-inch OS map (Berwickshire, 1862, sheet). The NW-facing wall has a single storey lean-to structure set into the L-shaped recess and above this is a classical style arched window.
The interior, which was viewed through the door in the SE wall, is mainly filled with the rubble and debris from the collapsed floors and roof. One room remains, that in the SE part, which retains an opening for a fireplace in the NE wall seen as a large stone block with brickwork set into each side. On the opposite side of this room is a doorway, still with the moulded wooden framing in situ. The walls, which retain some paint, would appear to be mainly lath-and-plaster.
The building is depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Berwickshire, 1862, sheet) and annotated 'Castlelaw', the map shows that at that date there was an unroofed extension to the SE of the present remains with further ranges around a courtyard to the NE. By the date of the 2nd edition 25-inch (ibid) the extension to the SE is no longer shown. The Object Name Book describes the building as 'A good stone building two stories high with out offices, a garden, orchard and arable farm attached. Proprietor Arch. Dickson, Esq.' (Name Book 1861). The orchards and cottage (now Castlelaw Gardens) are also depicted on this map. It is suggested that the 'farm attached' may have been the range of buildings to the NE. An earlier map show a symbolized ‘tower’ and annotate it ‘Castell Law’ (Robert Gordon 1636-52), Blaeu which shows a place annotated as ‘Wyliecleuch’ (J Blaeu 1654), in the approximate location of the present Castlelaw, but this may be incorrect as that place is now situated to the N of Darnchester. Roy annotates the site as ‘Castle Law’ (W Roy 1747-55) and The New Statistical Account (NSA 1845) notes a ‘Professor Russell at Castlelaw’.
There is little evidence on the ground of either the farmstead range to the NE or the extension to the SE shown on the early OS maps.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE), 3 April 2008
South West-facing single bow fronted two-storey building with a pitched roof, which has now almost entirely collapsed internally. There is evidence for a three-storey building visible on the SE-facing wall. The bow-fronted facade is in dressed sandstone with a stringcourse between the ground and first floors, stone sills and lintels to the windows. There are three bays; some with fragmentary remains of the sash and case frames parts of the wooden shutters survives. (RCAHMS)
Sbc Note
Visibility: Upstanding building, which may not be intact.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
