Well, Cranshaws Castle

Well, Cranshaws Castle

Possibly dating from the late 14th century, this is a round-cornered, rectangular-plan peel tower of five storeys with later alterations. The tower was internally refurbished by Robert Hurd & Partners in 1978. It is harled with polished cream sandstone dressings. The parapet is corbelled and crenellated, with a garret featuring crowstepped gables and large coped and corniced stacks. Sandstone margins and projecting cills are present, and some windows retain iron rails. Associated with the tower are a square-plan, ogee-capped sundial and walled garden to the west, and a covered rubble well to the north.

The south-west entrance elevation features a decorative wrought-iron hinged boarded timber door at ground level, offset to the left of centre, with an architraved surround and 5-pane fanlight. A small single opening appears at ground level in a bay to the outer right, and a single window is set into the rounded corner to the outer left. At the first floor, a single window sits offset to the left of centre, with blind infill in the remaining bays to the right. Three single windows are irregularly disposed at the second floor, with a slit opening at the third floor in the bay to the outer left and single windows in the remaining two bays to the right.

The north-east rear elevation contains a decorative wrought-iron hinged boarded timber door at ground level in the bay to the outer right, with a single window in the bay to the left and blind infill at ground in the remaining bays to the left. A small opening aligned at the first floor sits above the entrance, with a single window in the bay to the left and blind infill in the remaining bays. Single windows occupy the second floor in bays to the outer left and right, with smaller single windows aligned at the third floor.

The north-west side elevation shows a small vesica-shaped opening centred at ground level (a later 20th-century insertion) and a small single window at the first floor offset to the left of centre. The elevation is blank above. The south-east side elevation has single windows at ground and first floor offset to the right of centre, with blind infill in flanking bays. Small single windows appear at the second and third floors in bays to the outer left and right.

Windows predominantly feature 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames, with some 4- and 6-pane glazing in smaller lights. Lead-hung dormers are present. The roof is of grey slate with cast-iron rainwater goods and octagonal stone spouts. A crowstepped, coped apex stack stands to the north-west; a crowstepped, corniced apex stack to the south-east has a square-plan sundial at its base inscribed 'P D 1770' (Patrick Douglas) with metal gnomon in place. A coped wallhead stack stands to the east, with various circular cans distributed across the roof.

The interior at ground floor level comprises whitewashed rubble walls with the vault removed. A boarded timber ceiling is present, along with a timber panelled screen and doors forming a partition between kitchen and dining room. A former garderobe opening has been converted for use as a cupboard or dumb-waiter. A segmental-arched niche containing a stove is a feature of this floor. A spiral stair with stone treads and whitewashed rubble walls provides access to upper floors.

The first floor contains a timber panelled bedroom with plain cornice and plain ceiling. The bathroom has boarded timber lining to its walls and a deep window recess.

At the second floor, a partition has been removed to form a 'great hall' with a smaller room to the rear. Extensive timber panelling and boarded timber floors are present, with timber panelled shutters in place. A polished red sandstone fireplace features a roll-moulded, depressed-arched surround with regularly-spaced coats-of-arms above: the outer left coat dated 1350 (March and Wemyss?), inner left dated 1412 (Swintons), inner right dated 1739 (Morton Douglases), outer right dated 1895 (Smiths), and a Scottish coat of arms at centre. A sandstone fender completes the fireplace. A replacement plaster ceiling dated 1979 with decorative cornice and embossed detailing has been installed. Square-plan timber columns frame a basket-arched entrance to the smaller rear room, which contains a plain fireplace and plain cornice.

The third floor houses a main bedroom and bathroom with plain ceilings and deep window recesses. The fourth floor attic rooms have combed ceilings.

The sundial consists of a rubble plinth surmounted by a square-plan sandstone sundial with engaged columns framing decorative raised panels in each facet. A metal gnomon is in place. The west face bears the inscription 'I F S' and the east face 'A S', with 'Life is a Passing Shadow' embossed below. An ogee-shaped cap surmounts the structure, topped with a thistle-shaped finial.

Garden walls of random rubble enclose the garden to the west. The covered well is part-rendered rubble with a lintel inscribed 'A S' 'I F L', and contains a well.