east-lothian-1924/05-119

Transcription

HADDINGTON.] -- HISTORICAL MONUMENTS (SCOTLAND) COMMISSION. -- [HADDINGTON.

been built up and superseded by a doorway
more conveniently placed in the centre of the
main block. This main block contained a sunk
floor, two upper floors and an attic. The area
is reached from the street level by a staircase
within the tower, and it is probable that this
stair originally continued upwards and gave
access to the upper floors before the erection
of a wide scale and platt staircase built out on
the courtyard between the wings. The wings
were three storeys high and were also served
by this later staircase. At the eastern end
of the south wing there was a rectangular
dovecot, not detached but forming a portion of
the main structure.
The walls are built of rubble with ashlar
dressings. The window and door jambs are
moulded in some instances, splayed in others.
The interior of the building was finished with
care and taste. A drawing dated 1897 and
preserved in the National Art Survey of
Scotland records the interior wood panelling
of one room and the iron door-fittings. These
all appear to have been excellent examples of
native craftsmanship. This structure, less than
thirty years ago, was one of the best specimens
of old Scottish domestic town architecture.

x. N.W. 19 July 1913.

73. Houses in Town.-The Haddington
House in Poldrait Street and several modern-
ised tenements in High Street date from the
17th century; the following bear inscribed
lintels :
(a) on No. 38 East Gate the lintel bears a
representation of six tallow dips suspended
from a rod, and flanked by the initials I T and
I D also the date 1594.
(b) on Moat House, Eastgate is a lintel
inscribed MELIORA . SEMPER . COGITA and the
date 1641.
(c) a lintel, inscribed A M 1680, occurs on a
house in Sidegate.

x. N.W. 19 July 1913.

DEFENSIVE CONSTRUCTION.

74. Fort, Kaeheughs, Barney Mains.-On
the summit of a long ridge, interspersed with
straggling trees at the western end and con-
tained within more closely grown trees round

48

the eastern segment, 400 yards west of Barney
Mains, at an elevation of 500 feet above sea-
level, is a fort, somewhat almond-shaped on
plan, with the narrow end to the east (fig. 92).
The main axis is east and west and measures
internally some 460 feet in length and 235 feet
in breadth. No defence is required along the
northern flank, as there is a sheer precipice of
rock 50 to 60 feet in height on this side, below
which the ground falls away in a steep declivity
for more than 150 feet from the foot of the
rock. On the south the land falls sharply for
30 feet between the inner and outer walls, then
slopes away gradually. To the east the ground

[illustration inserted]
FIG. 88.-Kaeheughs (No. 74).

has been steep and rocky, but an old quarry
has encroached on the fort at this place,
destroying any defences which may have
existed here, while to the west the ridge
stretches away fairly level. The main entrance
(fig. 11) 10 to 12 feet wide is along the summit
of the ridge from the west penetrating all the
defences, and there is also an entrance 9 to 15
feet wide from the south near the western end
of the interior.
The inner defence on the southern flank is
a rampart, 9 feet broad and rising about 1 foot
above the inner level, which is carried round
the western end until it reaches the edge of the
precipice on the north. Across this end it
attains considerable dimensions, being in places
23 feet broad at the base and 6 feet high on the
inside. Besides the inner one on the southern
flank there are two other ramparts near the
foot of the steep natural escarpment. The first
of these outer defences is 6 feet broad, 1 foot
high on the inside and 11 feet high on the
outside, while its crest lies 54 feet from, and
17 1/2 feet lower than the inner rampart ; the
second rampart is 10 feet broad, 1 foot high on