Sauchie Tower
Encyclopedia
Sauchie Tower, also known as Devon Tower, is a 15th-century tower house
in Clackmannanshire
, Scotland
. The tower is located by the village of Fishcross
, 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) north of Sauchie
and 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) north of Alloa
, close to the River Devon
. It is protected as a Category A listed building, and as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
.
to Henri de Annand, Sheriff of Clackmannan, in 1321. In 1431 Sir James Schaw of Greenock
, Comptroller
to the King, acquired the lands of Sauchie when he married the heiress Mary de Annand. Sauchie Tower was built by Sir James soon after. His son was appointed Governor of Stirling Castle
in 1460. The Schaws
held the land into the 17th century, with several members of the family serving in the Scottish royal household.
Around 1631, Alexander Schaw, who was knighted by King Charles I
in 1633, built a house in the courtyard to the north-west of the tower. Another house on the estate, Schawpark, was built around 1700, and in 1752 Sauchie passed by marriage to the Cathcart family. Around this time the tower is thought to have been gutted by fire, and was not subsequently lived in. Old Sauchie House, in the courtyard, was demolished after the estate was bought for coal extraction in the 1930s. The tower was derelict but in good condition in 1950. Schawpark was sold in 1826, to the Earl of Mansfield
, who was then Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire
, but was demolished in 1961.
Proposals for restoration of the tower were first put forward in the 1980s, when a series of excavations were carried out. However, restoration work was never completed. The building is now owned by Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust, which has erected a temporary roof. In 2002, the Friends of Sauchie Tower were formed to promote the restoration of the building. With a Heritage Lottery Fund
award of £46,300, the group undertook site clearance, carried out further excavations, and produced a DVD to raise awareness of Sauchie Tower.
led parapet
walk, with bartizan
s (open round towers) at the corners. At the north-west corner is a hexagonal cap house (a small room covering the top of the stair), with a pyramidal roof. The vaulted basement contains a well, and the main hall is at first-floor level.
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...
in Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire
Clackmannanshire, often abbreviated to Clacks is a local government council area in Scotland, and a lieutenancy area, bordering Perth and Kinross, Stirling and Fife.As Scotland's smallest historic county, it is often nicknamed 'The Wee County'....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. The tower is located by the village of Fishcross
Fishcross
Fishcross is a small village in Clackmannanshire in central Scotland, situated to the north of Sauchie at a crossroads just south of Tillicoultry. Formerly a mining village, the population is 484 as at 2003...
, 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) north of Sauchie
Sauchie
Sauchie is a village in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies north of the River Forth and south of the Ochil Hills, within the council area of Clackmannanshire. Sauchie is located north-east of Alloa and east-southeast of Tullibody.- History :...
and 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) north of Alloa
Alloa
Alloa is a town and former burgh in Clackmannanshire, set in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on on the north bank of the Firth of Forth close to the foot of the Ochil Hills, east of Stirling and north of Falkirk....
, close to the River Devon
River Devon, Clackmannanshire
The River Devon is a tributary of the River Forth in Clackmannanshire, Scotland.-Geography:The source of the river is Blairdenon Hill in the Ochils at an altitude of ....
. It is protected as a Category A listed building, and as a Scheduled Ancient Monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...
.
History
The lands of Sauchie were granted by King Robert the BruceRobert I of Scotland
Robert I , popularly known as Robert the Bruce , was King of Scots from March 25, 1306, until his death in 1329.His paternal ancestors were of Scoto-Norman heritage , and...
to Henri de Annand, Sheriff of Clackmannan, in 1321. In 1431 Sir James Schaw of Greenock
Greenock
Greenock is a town and administrative centre in the Inverclyde council area in United Kingdom, and a former burgh within the historic county of Renfrewshire, located in the west central Lowlands of Scotland...
, Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
to the King, acquired the lands of Sauchie when he married the heiress Mary de Annand. Sauchie Tower was built by Sir James soon after. His son was appointed Governor of Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
in 1460. The Schaws
Clan Schaw
Clan Schaw is a Lowland Scottish clan. The clan has no connection with the similarly named Clan Shaw of Tordarroch which is one of the Highland clans of the Clan Chattan Confederation. Clan Schaw does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms therefore the clan has no standing...
held the land into the 17th century, with several members of the family serving in the Scottish royal household.
Around 1631, Alexander Schaw, who was knighted by King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1633, built a house in the courtyard to the north-west of the tower. Another house on the estate, Schawpark, was built around 1700, and in 1752 Sauchie passed by marriage to the Cathcart family. Around this time the tower is thought to have been gutted by fire, and was not subsequently lived in. Old Sauchie House, in the courtyard, was demolished after the estate was bought for coal extraction in the 1930s. The tower was derelict but in good condition in 1950. Schawpark was sold in 1826, to the Earl of Mansfield
David Murray, 3rd Earl of Mansfield
David William Murray, 3rd Earl of Mansfield, KT . Married Frederica Markham on 16 September 1797, was buried in St Andrew's Churchyard, Kingsbury, London....
, who was then Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire
Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Clackmannanshire.The official title of the office has varied over time as follows:* David Erskine, 9th Earl of Buchan 1713 – 1715* incomplete before 1794...
, but was demolished in 1961.
Proposals for restoration of the tower were first put forward in the 1980s, when a series of excavations were carried out. However, restoration work was never completed. The building is now owned by Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust, which has erected a temporary roof. In 2002, the Friends of Sauchie Tower were formed to promote the restoration of the building. With a Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
award of £46,300, the group undertook site clearance, carried out further excavations, and produced a DVD to raise awareness of Sauchie Tower.
The tower
The tower measures 11.5 by and rises four storeys to a corbelCorbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
led parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
walk, with bartizan
Bartizan
A bartizan or guerite is an overhanging, wall-mounted turret projecting from the walls of medieval fortifications from the early 14th century up to the 16th century. They protect a warder and enable him to see around him...
s (open round towers) at the corners. At the north-west corner is a hexagonal cap house (a small room covering the top of the stair), with a pyramidal roof. The vaulted basement contains a well, and the main hall is at first-floor level.