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Knock Old Castle

Castle (17th Century)

Site Name Knock Old Castle

Classification Castle (17th Century)

Canmore ID 40716

Site Number NS16SE 3

NGR NS 19337 63110

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40716

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

  • Council North Ayrshire
  • Parish Largs
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Cunninghame
  • Former County Ayrshire

Archaeology Notes

NS16SE 3 19337 63110

(NS 1934 6311) Knock Castle (NR) (restored)

OS 6" map (1969)

Knock Castle was mentioned by Pont about 1608. A mansion (of the same name) was built (at NS 1941 6300) about 1850.

J Dobie 1876

Knock Castle: The remains of this small mansion or castle stands on the edge of a stream and command an extensive view to the W. It consists of a rectangular block, one part of which is in ruins, and the other roofed. It is on the Z-plan with a complete and restored round tower at the SW angle, and the remains of another at the NE angle. The latter is about 3.0m high. A courtyard wall has a door in it, and it is possible that buildings abutted this.

A modern parapet with angle turret surmounts this wall which bears a stone inscribed "Repaired in 1853." This wall also contains stones (not in situ) dated '1603' and '1604', the initials 'I B' being on the latter. The whole building has been restored and, in parts, modernised. Walls are only 0.6m thick. No other traces of courtyard wall are visible.

Visited by OS (JLD) 21 September 1956

Tranter gives a similar description and adds that Knock Castle was probably built in the late 16th or early 17th century.

N Tranter 1965

The surviving portion of Knock Castle is roofed but unoccupied and in a dilapidated state of repair.

Visited by OS (JRL) 3 March 1983

Architecture Notes

Originally an early C17 Z-plan tower, repaired and altered into a garden feature by J T Rochead c.1853 at the time Rochead was building the new Knock Castle.

Photographed on behalf of the Buildings of Scotland publications.

RCAHMS 2009.

Activities

Test Pit Survey (1 May 2012 - 25 August 2015)

A long-running programme of works combining archaeological monitoring of soft sediment stripping with historic building recording/monitoring, undertaken in and around the ruins of Old Knock Castle (an early 17th century 'z'-plan tower-house now restored into a residential dwelling). A portion of in-situ flooring and the site of a hearth/fireplace were identified and investigated during these works.

Information from OASIS ID: rathmell1-221837 (L Turner) 2015

References

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