Fordell Castle
Encyclopedia
Fordell Castle is a restored 16th-century tower house
, located 1.25 miles (2 km) north-west of Dalgety Bay
and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Dunfermline
, in Fife
, Scotland
.
in 1511, and the castle was built in 1567 on the site of an earlier structure. Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed here when Marion Scott, one of her ladies-in-waiting, married George Henderson, the laird
. The castle was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt c.1580. The castle was damaged again by Oliver Cromwell
's army in 1651.
In the 19th century, the family built a new mansion nearby, but kept the castle in good repair. In 1866, the estate passed by marriage to Hew Duncan, second son of the Earl of Camperdown
. The mansion was demolished in the 20th century, and there is now little visible evidence of its existence, other than the remains of stonework, foundations and the overgrown detritus of human habitation. Pine woodland has wholly taken over its former location, although a stone bridge over the former railway shows the position of the entrance, from the south-east, and the formal carriage-turning circle is still visible as a clearing.
The ruins of Fordell Castle were purchased by the lawyer and Conservative
politician Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
(1933–1995) for one hundred pounds sterling. The castle was restored and used as a private residence by Sir Nicholas and his wife Lady Sam Fairbairn, who continued to live there until 1997 when it was sold on to a local veterinary surgeon, before being sold on again to multi-millionaire businessman Andrew Berry. In November 2007, Fordell Castle was sold for £3,850,000 to an undisclosed buyer, making it the fifth-highest-priced home ever sold in Scotland. The Castle remains a private residence, albeit a second home, and is a category A listed building.
Following his death in 1995, Nicholas Fairbairn
was laid to rest in the crypt below the Chapel of St Theriot in the castle grounds. Andrew Berry's family initials have been added to the stonework surrounding the Chapel's entrance.
s surround the former lake and are a feature of the estate as a whole, lining the avenues through the Estate. The Castle sits in dense woodland, with very little opportunity to view it from anywhere, other than up close, or from a significant distance to the south-west. The former walled garden
is now a commercial plant nursery.
, and draining the pits. It is now one of Scotland's worst pollution issues, issuing iron
-polluted water into the nearby watercourse. Ongoing open-cast mining being carried out by ATH Resources promises to solve this issue as part of their reparations. A Planning Application is currently being considered by Fife Council for the first extension to the Muir Dean mine, in an area south of the current mine, towards Vantage Farm.
One of Scotland's oldest railways runs 400m to the east of the Castle. The Fordell railway route took coal from the Fife coalfields, to the ships in St David's Bay, now part of the Dalgety Bay settlement. The original wooden rails are long gone, although the embankments, cuttings and stone bridges remain, and carriages and equipment can be viewed in the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. A winding house existed, location unknown, but thought to be in the vicinity of the Vantage Farm Steading, to assist coal down the incline to the coast, or more importantly, the empty wagons back up.
The former entrance avenue and gates to the east lead to Vantage Farm, a small steading featuring Scotland's only octagonal doocot
and ornate farm buildings including clock tower and three storey granary. The steading is largely residential, and conversion works are ongoing.
There is a Lodge to the West, known as North Lodge on the Inverkeithing / Crossgates Road, and South Lodge on the Aberdour Road, marking the primary entrances to the former Estate. The chains at the North Lodge stone gates were recently stolen.
Tower house
A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation.-History:Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountain or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strategic points with reduced forces...
, located 1.25 miles (2 km) north-west of Dalgety Bay
Dalgety Bay
Dalgety Bay Today, Dalgety Bay functions largely as a dormitory suburb of Edinburgh and to the rest of Fife. While the architecture of the town reflects construction by volume housebuilders, the town is a regular winner of the Best Kept Small Town title...
and 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, in Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
The lands of Fordell were given to the Henderson family by King James IVJames IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
in 1511, and the castle was built in 1567 on the site of an earlier structure. Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed here when Marion Scott, one of her ladies-in-waiting, married George Henderson, the laird
Laird
A Laird is a member of the gentry and is a heritable title in Scotland. In the non-peerage table of precedence, a Laird ranks below a Baron and above an Esquire.-Etymology:...
. The castle was destroyed by fire, but rebuilt c.1580. The castle was damaged again by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's army in 1651.
In the 19th century, the family built a new mansion nearby, but kept the castle in good repair. In 1866, the estate passed by marriage to Hew Duncan, second son of the Earl of Camperdown
Adam Haldane-Duncan, 2nd Earl of Camperdown
Adam Haldane-Duncan, 2nd Earl of Camperdown , styled Viscount Duncan between 1831 and 1859, was a British nobleman and politician....
. The mansion was demolished in the 20th century, and there is now little visible evidence of its existence, other than the remains of stonework, foundations and the overgrown detritus of human habitation. Pine woodland has wholly taken over its former location, although a stone bridge over the former railway shows the position of the entrance, from the south-east, and the formal carriage-turning circle is still visible as a clearing.
The ruins of Fordell Castle were purchased by the lawyer and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician Sir Nicholas Fairbairn
Nicholas Fairbairn
Sir Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC was a British politician.He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kinross and Western Perthshire, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 1979 to 1982...
(1933–1995) for one hundred pounds sterling. The castle was restored and used as a private residence by Sir Nicholas and his wife Lady Sam Fairbairn, who continued to live there until 1997 when it was sold on to a local veterinary surgeon, before being sold on again to multi-millionaire businessman Andrew Berry. In November 2007, Fordell Castle was sold for £3,850,000 to an undisclosed buyer, making it the fifth-highest-priced home ever sold in Scotland. The Castle remains a private residence, albeit a second home, and is a category A listed building.
Following his death in 1995, Nicholas Fairbairn
Nicholas Fairbairn
Sir Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn, QC was a British politician.He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Kinross and Western Perthshire, elected in 1974 and 1979, and Perth and Kinross, elected 1983, 1987, and 1992. He was Solicitor General for Scotland from 1979 to 1982...
was laid to rest in the crypt below the Chapel of St Theriot in the castle grounds. Andrew Berry's family initials have been added to the stonework surrounding the Chapel's entrance.
Grounds
Within the grounds is a chapel dedicated to St. Therotus, or Theriot, which was restored between 1999 and 2007. The grounds consist of Italianate gardens, which are currently being restored. The entrance to the Castle passes over a bridge, past a weir that formerly held back the waters of the Fordell Burn, and forming a lake that has now all but silted up. RhododendronRhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
s surround the former lake and are a feature of the estate as a whole, lining the avenues through the Estate. The Castle sits in dense woodland, with very little opportunity to view it from anywhere, other than up close, or from a significant distance to the south-west. The former walled garden
Walled garden
A walled garden is specifically a garden enclosed by high walls for horticultural rather than security purposes, though traditionally all gardens have been hedged about or walled for protection from animal or human intruders...
is now a commercial plant nursery.
Other features on the estate
Close to the Castle, the Fordell Day Level surfaces. This is a mine "river", connecting the foot of numerous former coal mines, from as far afield as CowdenbeathCowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...
, and draining the pits. It is now one of Scotland's worst pollution issues, issuing iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
-polluted water into the nearby watercourse. Ongoing open-cast mining being carried out by ATH Resources promises to solve this issue as part of their reparations. A Planning Application is currently being considered by Fife Council for the first extension to the Muir Dean mine, in an area south of the current mine, towards Vantage Farm.
One of Scotland's oldest railways runs 400m to the east of the Castle. The Fordell railway route took coal from the Fife coalfields, to the ships in St David's Bay, now part of the Dalgety Bay settlement. The original wooden rails are long gone, although the embankments, cuttings and stone bridges remain, and carriages and equipment can be viewed in the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. A winding house existed, location unknown, but thought to be in the vicinity of the Vantage Farm Steading, to assist coal down the incline to the coast, or more importantly, the empty wagons back up.
The former entrance avenue and gates to the east lead to Vantage Farm, a small steading featuring Scotland's only octagonal doocot
Dovecote
A dovecote or dovecot is a structure intended to house pigeons or doves. Dovecotes may be square or circular free-standing structures or built into the end of a house or barn. They generally contain pigeonholes for the birds to nest. Pigeons and doves were an important food source historically in...
and ornate farm buildings including clock tower and three storey granary. The steading is largely residential, and conversion works are ongoing.
There is a Lodge to the West, known as North Lodge on the Inverkeithing / Crossgates Road, and South Lodge on the Aberdour Road, marking the primary entrances to the former Estate. The chains at the North Lodge stone gates were recently stolen.