Falside Castle

Falside Castle is a 15th century, four-storey keep that was later expanded into a mansion with an L-plan addition to the south in the 16th century. The castle underwent significant restoration from 1982 to 1985, led by Ian S Parsons and built by D H Moran. During this restoration, various windows were reopened and others were inserted in a sympathetic manner. The castle is situated on high ground at Falside Hill and is constructed of freestone rubble, partly coursed in earlier work, with oyster shell pinning. Repairs included ashlar dressing and brick rebuilding with white harling.

The 15th century keep has a rectangular plan measuring approximately 30 by 39 feet. The fourth storey is vaulted, and it features a crenellated parapet walk at the wallhead, along with a crowstepped, gabled cap-house at the northeast angle. The north elevation contains a round arched doorway, while the ground floor has a minimum of openings, with irregularly placed arrow slit windows and fewer larger windows on the upper floors. Some of these upper windows were altered in the 17th century and have backset margins and chamfered arrises.

Inside, there is a mural stair leading to the first floor to the left of the door, with a turnpike stair above the first floor. The interior also includes a pit dungeon, flagstones, and retained stone corbels.

The 16th century addition to the south elevation of the keep features relieving arches above the windows and quirk-edged roll mouldings. There is a door in the west elevation, with its surround renewed in 1982, and a square panel above it. The southwest corner has a chamfered angle that is corbelled to a square above. A round tower is set in the re-entrant angle, mitred above the ground floor on a rectangular base. The south elevation is symmetrical, with a crowstepped, gabled centre bay that has a window on each of the three upper floors, along with a gablehead stack. The angles are adorned with corbelled turrets that have candle-snuffer roofs. There is a sizeable set-off wallhead stack on the east elevation, flanked by windows that break the eaves in modern gabled dormerheads, one dated 1982 and the other bearing the initials TMC CHH. There are two additional gabled dormerheads on the west elevation.

The interior of the addition was not seen in 1989. The windows feature multi-pane glazing patterns, and the roof is covered with grey slates.

There is also a rectangular plan, single-storey gabled outbuilding located to the north of the castle, constructed of freestone rubble and much altered, with a red and grey corrugated sheet metal roof. Additionally, a retaining wall, largely renewed in 1982, is made of freestone rubble with rubble coping and is adjoined to the castle.