Sauchie Tower

Sauchie Tower, also Devon Tower, is a tower house near the Scottish city of Sauchie in Clackmannanshire unitary authority. In 1960, the building was added to the Scottish lists of monuments in the highest category A. In addition, the building is protected as a Scheduled Monument since 1933.

History

Builder of Sauchie Tower is a native of Greenock Sir James Schaw, who married the heiress to part of the lands with Mary de Annand. The Shaw's were at that time the most influential families in Scotland and ruled until the enthronement of James IV, among others, Stirling Castle. To 1440 was James Shaw, the Tower House south of the Devon building. Presumably in this place was already a previous building that previously but could not be proven. Sauchie Tower was part of a larger weir with defensive walls and outbuildings, with the exception of the tower only a few fragments survive today. Components of this system may have been used in the early 17th century for the construction of the nearby mansion Old Sauchie House, which probably should replace Sauchie Tower after residential towers at that time were considered untimely.

The lands then fell to another line of Shaw, which chose to build a private mansion called Shawpark near the residential tower in 1700. Old Sauchie House was probably leased to its demolition in 1930. Shawpark was sold in 1826 to the Earl of Mansfield and finally demolished in 1961. From three adjacent family residences of the Shaws thus remained only get the oldest to the Sauchie Tower. The results of an archaeological investigation suggest that Sauchie Tower was used until the mid-18th century, at least partially. In the 1750s a fire destroyed the building. Later, the ground floor was probably used as a storage room. In the 18th and 19th centuries sheds were built in the area in which it could well have been cattle shelters. In contrast to the comparable Clackmannan Tower Sauchie Tower is preserved intact.

Description

The Tower House is located north of the village of Sauchie, near the Devon River. It has a floor area of ​​approximately 11 × 10 m on an almost square ground plan. It consists of a four-story tower on which is seated a hexahonales house with a tent roof. The 1.6-2 m, on the west side even 3 m thick masonry is unusually solid and consists of ashlar from reddish sandstone. The tower ends with a reinforcement with battlements behind it, broad battlements and watchtowers crowd. In the first three floors remains of chambers can be seen, the shelves are, however, possibly collapsed as a result of the fire. The tower is entered at ground level through an entrance on the west side. A spiral staircase in the northwest corner of the upper floors were accessible. Opposite is a guard chamber. The tower was surrounded by a wall with a moat. Maybe once existed is a second defensive wall.