Craster Tower

Craster Tower is a country house incorporating a medieval tower, likely dating from the 14th century. The main house was built in 1769, possibly by William Newton, with an additional east wing added in the 19th century. The tower is constructed of large squared stone, while the 1769 block has a south front of squared whinstone with tooled sandstone ashlar quoins and dressings, an east elevation of squared stone, and a rendered west end. The east wing is rendered with cut sandstone quoins and dressings. The house has a graduated Lakeland slate roof on the 1769 section, Scottish slates on the east wing, and a flat, unseen roof on the tower. It is arranged in an L-shape, with the rectangular tower at the junction of the 1769 south block and the east wing.

The south front is three storeys high with a symmetrical arrangement of 2 + 1 + 2 bays. It features a plinth, first-floor, and first-floor sill bands, as well as rusticated quoins. The central tripartite Tuscan doorway has a fielded-panel door under a radial fanlight, flanked by pilasters supporting an open pediment. It is positioned between three-pane casements. The lower floors have 12-pane sash windows, while those on the first floor are corniced and have centre pediments. A lower eaves cornice has a central pediment. The roof is hipped with two ridge stacks, rendered on stone bases. To the right is a three-storey, four-bay east wing with raised quoins and 12- and 16-pane sashes in raised stone surrounds. It has a coped right end gable and stepped-and-corniced ridge and right end stacks.

The west front is divided into two parts. The right side comprises a three-storey, four-bay block from 1769, featuring a ground floor sill band and 12-pane sashes on the lower floors, with 9-pane sashes above. The left side is a taller three-storey tower with a large chamfered plinth. The first and second floors have tripartite windows with small-paned sashes under pointed arches, set within raised moulded surrounds and sills. A moulded string runs below an embattled parapet.

The east elevation of the 1769 block showcases a 19th-century canted ashlar bay with 12-pane sashes, a moulded cornice, and a parapet. Above this are 12- and 6-pane sashes in raised stone surrounds.

The north front (the entrance front) has the east wing on the left, with its lower floors set forward under a separate pent roof. To the right is a shallow porch with a tripartite Gothick doorway, a vertical-panelled door, and flanking 2-pane casements. A quatrefoil window sits above the doorway, and the gable has moulded coping and kneelers. The front has 4-pane sashes, apart from another quatrefoil at first-floor level to the left of the porch. The tower to the right has a 20th-century opening on the ground floor only.

The interior was not inspected. The tower retains barrel-vaulted basements.