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Craigievar Castle

Castle (16th Century), Formal Garden (18th Century)(Possible), Structure(S) (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Craigievar Castle

Classification Castle (16th Century), Formal Garden (18th Century)(Possible), Structure(S) (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Leochel-cushnie

Canmore ID 295314

Site Number NJ50NE 75

NGR NJ 5670 0950

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/295314

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Leochel-cushnie
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Gordon
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Activities

Standing Building Recording (December 2006 - November 2009)

NJ 5670 0950 An initial assessment of window openings at Craigievar was undertaken in December 2006. In November 2007–November 2009 a major programme of work was carried out during the re-harling of the tower. The exterior of the tower was surveyed by laser scan before erection of scaffolding, and this was used as a control for a complete hand-drawn survey of the exterior following the stripping of the harl. At the same time the RCAHMS undertook detailed recording of decorative carved work at the upper part of the tower (spouts, armorials, beasts and finials). The survey confirmed many of the observations made by the RCAHMS

during an earlier re-harling exercise in 1973.

The existing tower appears to have been erected in the later 16th century by the recusant Mortimer family. Though Craigievar is recorded as a site from at least the 15th century the present structure seems not to incorporate earlier fabric. The 16th-century structure essentially survives intact up to the band of continuous corbelling at the top of the 4th floor level; parts of the early structure also appear to survive to 5th floor level internally. Window openings and entrances of this phase are characterised by the presence of chamfered

surrounds, the windows with ironwork grilles. These and other features of the early tower are closely paralleled at the neighbouring Forbes castle of Corse (which bears a date stone of 1581).

Evidence for the original form of the hall, previously assessed by the RCAHMS, was reviewed. This demonstrated, as previously concluded, that there had indeed been a chamber overlooking the hall interior within the thickness of the E wall and lit by a high window, now blocked. As previously suggested by Ian Bryce this had probably functioned as a Catholic oratory, and can be closely paralleled by very similar features that still survive at Towie Barclay and Craig castles. A very substantial hall window at the N end of the E wall was

also subsequently blocked. The existing large window at the W end of the S wall was confirmed to be original to the hall; however, the large windows in the N and W walls were all found to be secondary.

The major secondary reworking of the early tower by the Bel family for William Forbes (‘Danzig Willie’), dating to c1610–1620, was more clearly defined during the survey. The work of this phase is characterised by the use of rounded arises at entrance and window surrounds and, in the latter, the use of diamond-set vertical bars as opposed to grilles. It appears that the corbelling and all exterior works above this level date to this period; however, the actual break between the earlier walling below and new work above was only traced intermittently just below the corbelling, and with difficulty, the character of the general masonry, mortar etc

above and below being near identical.

The early 17th-century works also involved the removal of the early hall oratory, its window and the large hall window on its N side (the windows were blocked and replaced by a new large hall window in the area of the oratory), with accompanying lozenge-shaped window on either side. New medium-sized hall windows were inserted high in the W and N walls (these also detailed with a rounded aris). At corbel level the former positions of 20 false cannon-muzzle spouts were recorded, in addition to the 16 that still remain. The base of what had evidently been an elaborate pedimented dormer was recorded at the N wall head (an ex situ pediment at the site probably came from this opening); apparent and previously unrecorded evidence for two further dormers was noted at the S end of the eastern wall-head. These had evidently lit the S part of the long gallery, partners of a surviving pair further N. A number of blocked windows were recorded, and others had been blocked until the time of the 1973 works; this corresponds well to a documented episode of window-tax related blockings of over 50 windows in the 1770s.

While the windows above the corbelling remain relatively unaltered (though without their metalwork), the majority of openings below the corbelling had seen secondary modification. Much of this had clearly taken place at the time of John Smith’s restoration of the castle in c1825–6, which had doubtless involved the re-opening of some of the previously blocked windows. Small stair and basement level lights had been widened, and many larger windows were increased in size by the lowering of their sills or raising of their lintels. The hall windows were particularly affected. All of the larger windows had their sills dropped, often considerably, and the four large windows to W, N and E all had their lintels lowered. All metalwork within the windows was removed (either at this period or in the 1770s), often associated with spalling of the sills and some stone indenting. No windows retain their early glazing, although an early shutter was recovered when a window was unblocked in 1973.

It was also in the 1820s that the early roof structure was replaced. Evidence for original sandstone roofing tiles was recorded; these had been replaced with the existing Foudland slates. The 1820s works saw a general re-harling of the exterior; this was the point when the pre-existing cream-coloured lime mortars and harls were substituted with the pink-pigmented material, which was deliberately chosen to match the hue of the granite dressings. Traces of a deep pink dubbing-out mortar were overlain with a medium-pink harl coat; surviving traces indicated the pink may have actually been taken over the dressings.

Periodic modifications to window openings continued through the 19th and 20th centuries, up to the works in 1973, at which time some larger windows were unblocked and the majority of shot-holes at re-entrant angles and within bartizans were reopened. Re-harling involved the deep dubbing-out of exterior wall surfaces with cement below a final thin coat of deep pink-pigmented cement harl. Joints between dressings were pointed up in disfiguring cement work.

In 2007–9 the 1970s works were effectively reversed; all cement-based materials were removed and more traditional lime-based materials substituted. Exterior walls were dubbed-out with a cream lime mortar, with similarly coloured harl coats over; the whole, with the exception of moulded or carved dressings, was then lime washed in multiple coats of pale/medium pink hue. Much missing carved detail from corbel level up was reinstated, including false spouts, a gargoyle, and the piper finial surmounting the dormer pediment above the principal entrance.

Archive: NTS (SMR, Castle Fraser) and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Tom Addyman, Kenneth Macfadyen, Sarah Phillips and Amanda Gow – Addyman Archaeology

Excavation (16 July 2007 - 19 July 2007)

NJ 5670 0950 A number of trenches were excavated on 16-19 July 2007 to investigate a series of anomalies identified in a previous geophysical survey. These had been tentatively interpreted as relating to the 18th-century formal gardens shown on a 1776 map of the estate. The excavation underlined the difficulties of interpreting geophysical anomalies in the geology of this area. In the area of the SW quadrant of the formal garden shown on the estate map marks of former cultivation and a possible terrace were revealed. In the SE quadrant a low bank may have been a planting line or feature within the garden.

Reports deposited with NTS, Aberdeenshire SMR and RCAHMS.

Funder: National Trust for Scotland.

H K Murray and J C Murray, 2007.

Watching Brief (17 June 2012)

NJ 56678 09486 A watching brief was carried out on 17 June 2012 during work on a track relating to the relocation of an electricity distribution board for steadings which lie NW of Craigievar Castle. No archaeological features or finds were recorded.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: The National Trust for Scotland

Alison Cameron, Cameron Archaeology 2012 (DES)

References

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