Timpendean Tower
Encyclopedia
Timpendean Tower or Typenden Castle as it was once known, is a ruined 15th-century tower house
near Lanton
, around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-west of Jedburgh
in the Scottish Borders
.
It is built on rising ground between the River Teviot
and the Jed Water
. It is a simple tower
structure measuring 29 feet by 24 feet with 4 feet (1.2 m) walls. It was a stronghold of the Douglas family
.
The land here, once part of the Bonjedward
estate, was long owned by the Douglases, passing from father to son, until it was sold off by George, 12th of Timpendean in 1843 to the Scott family, farmers of Bonjedward. Timpendean Tower was burned by the Earl of Hertford
's men in 1545, during the War of the Rough Wooing.
The tower, which is surrounded by much older earthworks
, consisted of three floors and a vaulted cellar. There is evidence of a previous addition, which has now disappeared, judging by projecting bond stones on two walls. The east door and basement fireplace are later additions to the original house.
The first floor contained the great hall while the second floor consisted of sleeping quarters. Those floors were reached by a circular staircase on the east wall. Part of the nearby earthworks
was dammed and filled with water for defensive purposes.
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...
near Lanton
Lanton, Scottish Borders
Lanton is a village in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, near Jedburgh and Timpendean Tower, off the A698.-External links:*****...
, around 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north-west of Jedburgh
Jedburgh
Jedburgh is a town and former royal burgh in the Scottish Borders and historically in Roxburghshire.-Location:Jedburgh lies on the Jed Water, a tributary of the River Teviot, it is only ten miles from the border with England and is dominated by the substantial ruins of Jedburgh Abbey...
in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
.
It is built on rising ground between the River Teviot
River Teviot
The River Teviot, or Teviot Water, is a river of the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, and a tributary of the River Tweed.It rises in the western foothills of Comb Hill on the border of Dumfries and Galloway...
and the Jed Water
Jed Water
The Jed Water is a river and a tributary of the River Teviot in the Borders region of Scotland.In total Jed Water is over 20 miles long, it flows into the Teviot near Jedfoot Bridge from a source in the Cheviot Hills....
. It is a simple tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
structure measuring 29 feet by 24 feet with 4 feet (1.2 m) walls. It was a stronghold of the Douglas family
Clan Douglas
Clan Douglas is an ancient Scottish kindred from the Scottish Lowlands taking its name from Douglas, South Lanarkshire, and thence spreading through the Scottish Borderland, Angus, Lothian and beyond. The clan does not currently have a chief, therefore it is considered an armigerous clan.The...
.
The land here, once part of the Bonjedward
Bonjedward
Bonjedward is a hamlet in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland, two miles north of Jedburgh where the River Teviot joins the River Tweed.The village stands on a ridge of land formed by the approach of the Teviot and Jed Water towards their junction...
estate, was long owned by the Douglases, passing from father to son, until it was sold off by George, 12th of Timpendean in 1843 to the Scott family, farmers of Bonjedward. Timpendean Tower was burned by the Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
's men in 1545, during the War of the Rough Wooing.
The tower, which is surrounded by much older earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
, consisted of three floors and a vaulted cellar. There is evidence of a previous addition, which has now disappeared, judging by projecting bond stones on two walls. The east door and basement fireplace are later additions to the original house.
The first floor contained the great hall while the second floor consisted of sleeping quarters. Those floors were reached by a circular staircase on the east wall. Part of the nearby earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
was dammed and filled with water for defensive purposes.