Mains Of Penninghame

NX46SW 8 4093 6052

(NX 4093 6052) Penninghame Hall (NR) (Site of)

OS 6" map (1957)

Only a small hollow on a small knowe or hillock, perhaps marking its foundation, and an old road or avenue leading to it, remains of Penninghame Castle or Hall. It is known locally as 'Howe Ha'', and is said to have belonged to the Gordons, finally being destroyed about 1880.

Name Book 1845

Traditionally it is believed that Penninghame Hall was a residence of the bishops of Galloway, but there is some doubt about this. Before the Reformation the bishops of Galloway owned the manor of Penninghame, but their chief residence was at Clary (NX46SW 6), according to Chalmers (G Chalmers 1824). A charter of 1564 (R C Reid 1960), granted by Bishop Alexander Gordon, records the names of "Grange of Penninghame" and "Clarie". Symson (W Macfarlane 1907) says that the bishop of Galloway did not then possess a house in his bishopric due to the dilapidation of church property during the Reformation.

The site of Penninghame Hall is situated on a slight eminence surrounded by a dry moat. Surface remains and a scatter of building material suggests that there were three buildings flanking three sides of a courtyard.

"Howe Ha'" is the name of the field centred at NX 4074 6031.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (RD) 19 November 1966

Nothing now remains of Penninghame Hall. However, its surrounding dry moat is still clearly visible.

Visited by OS (BS) 16 July 1976

This site is listed in an Atlas of Scottish History (McNeill and MacQueen 1996) as a moated site.

Information from RCAHMS (DE) September 1997.