east-lothian-1924/05-212

Transcription

TRANENT.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [TRANENT.

5 Family of Seton ii., p. 846 ; 6 History, p. 39 ;
7 History, pp. 42-3; 8 Family of Seton ii., p. 774.

ix. N.W. 9 February 1923.

CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC STRUCTURES.

192. Elphinstone Tower.-This house (fig.
17) is situated two miles south of Tranent on
the southern and lower of the two ridges run-
ning northwards from the heights of Soutra to
the shores of the Firth. It consequently
commands an extensive prospect, bounded on
the north by the higher ridge, on the east by
Traprain and North Berwick Law, and south
and west by the Lowther and Pentland Hills.
It is a 15th century tower oblong on plan
(fig. 164) and contains three main storeys be-
neath the wall-head, which terminates in a
parapet walk with rudimentary corner rounds,
all borne on moulded corbels with moulded
interspaces of late 16th century design. The
walls are of coursed ashlar with long and short
quoins. At ground level a basement course
with a splayed set-off returns and is stopped on
either side of the entrance doorway, which is
set in the north wall a little above the ground
This doorway has a segmental head and
is giblet checked to receive an outer timber
door, which opened outwards, and an inner
grate of iron opening inwardly. The win-
dows have splayed jambs and lintels and
have been heavily barred and stanchioned.
At the north-east angle can be traced the
outline of a much later building, which
communicated with the lower floors of the
tower.
The tower measures 57 feet from ground
to parapet, 35 feet from north to south and 50 1/2
feet from east to west. The walls, averaging
8 feet in thickness, contain an unusual number
of the intramural stairs and chambers which are
so common a feature in 15th century tower
plans. The entrance opens into a lobby within
the thickness of the wall, through which the
basement is entered and from which ascends,
on the east, the main staircase ; while a lesser
staircase on the west leads to a small chamber
ceiled with a segmental vault of stone and
provided with a latrine in its south-west angle,
a cupboard or lamp recess in the east wall,
and a small window to the west. These
staircases are straight and are both contained

121

within the thickness of the lateral wall. The
basement is a single chamber oblong on plan
with an inward projection at the north-west
angle. It is 34 feet long and 18 1/2 feet wide and
is lit by two small windows with stepped
breasts in the south wall. In the north-west
angle is an intramural chamber unlit and
unventilated, ceiled with a segmental stone
vault. Its disposition would suggest its use as
a prison, but it has none of the usual provision
for ventilation and sanitation. The ceiling has
been patched, and in these renewals are frag-
ments of 17th century glass flagons. Another
intramural chamber in the north wall, beneath
the main staircase, has at one time been turned
into a communication between a later out-
building and the tower but is now built up ;
the entrance to it is also giblet checked.

The basement is vaulted with a semicircular
barrel-vault of stone and has been provided
at the springing level, with a mezzanine floor,
borne on joists resting on massive corbels
projecting from the lateral walls. This upper
floor is lit by windows in the gables and was
entered from the main staircase. The first
floor is occupied by the Hall, an apartment
29 1/4 feet long and 20 1/4 feet wide, ceiled with a
lofty pointed barrel-vault. The fireplace in the
centre of the west gable is filled in, but fractures
in the infilling reveal that the jambs have a
filleted shaft as an outer member, with an
inner curvilinear moulding. The jambs termi-
nate in moulded bell-shaped bases and capitals
of the same form but reversed. The lintel was
massive but is fractured and incomplete, and
only the northern portion remains in situ ; the
other is lying in the embrasure of the north-
west window. Above the lintel there has been
a projecting cornice, but the mouldings have
been cut flush with the wall. Above the
fireplace five stones are inserted, one carved
with a head, the others with one or more
shields bearing arms. The southern shield
bears three crescents within a double tressure
flory-counter-flory for Seton ; the second has
three crescents for Edminstone ; the third, a
lion rampant within a double tressure flory-
counter-flory for Maitland ; the fourth, a heart
and on a chief three stars for Douglas ; the
fifth, on a chief three cushions or possibly
mascles ; the sixth, a saltire with three
cushions on a chief for Johnston; the seventh,