Castle of Park
Encyclopedia
The Castle of Park is a 16th-century L-plan tower house
near Glenluce
, in Dumfries and Galloway
, southwest Scotland
. It is a category A listed building.
of Glenluce Abbey
, and his wife Jonet MakDouel. It was completed by 1599.
The building was extended in the 18th century, and was used by the Hay family until Sir John Dalrymple-Hay sold the Park estate in 1875; it was then left uninhabited.
A program of restoration was carried out in the 1950s and 1960s by the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, including removal of the 18th-century wings. In the 1980s, additional work was done by the Landmark Trust
. The building is now maintained using income from its use as holiday accommodation.
At various times the building has also been known as "Park Hay", "The Park O' Luce", "Park Castle" and "Park House".
ed rooms used as kitchens and store-rooms; above this is the main hall measuring some 22 feet (6.7 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m). The third and fourth floors are divided into smaller rooms. The southward projection contains a large spiral staircase, from which a further spiral stair leads to the roof and to a small room above the main stair.
Although imposing, the building is not defensible. Unlike earlier examples such as Drum Castle
, the walls are hollowed out with additional staircases and, to quote the 1898 description, "commodious closets".
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...
near Glenluce
Glenluce
Glenluce is a village in the Scottish area of Dumfries and Galloway.Located on the A75 road between Stranraer and Newton Stewart it is in the traditional county of Wigtownshire. Glenluce Abbey is nearby at ....
, in Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway
Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...
, southwest 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...
. It is a category A listed building.
History
The castle was begun in 1590 for Thomas Hay, the son of one of the CommendatorsAbbot of Glenluce
The Abbot of Glenluce was the head of the monastic community of Glenluce Abbey, Galloway. The monastery was founded in 1192 by monks from Dundrennan Abbey with the patronage of Lochlann , Lord of Galloway. In the 16th century the monastery increasingly came under the control of secular warlords...
of Glenluce Abbey
Glenluce Abbey
Glenluce Abbey, near to Glenluce, Scotland, was a Cistercian monastery called also Abbey of Luce or Vallis Lucis and founded around 1190 by Rolland or Lochlann, Lord of Galloway and Constable of Scotland...
, and his wife Jonet MakDouel. It was completed by 1599.
The building was extended in the 18th century, and was used by the Hay family until Sir John Dalrymple-Hay sold the Park estate in 1875; it was then left uninhabited.
A program of restoration was carried out in the 1950s and 1960s by the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, including removal of the 18th-century wings. In the 1980s, additional work was done by the Landmark Trust
Landmark Trust
The Landmark Trust is a British building conservation charity, founded in 1965 by Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or architectural merit and then gives them a new life by making them available for holiday rental...
. The building is now maintained using income from its use as holiday accommodation.
At various times the building has also been known as "Park Hay", "The Park O' Luce", "Park Castle" and "Park House".
Description
The building is divided into four floors. The lowest floor consists of three barrel vaultBarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed rooms used as kitchens and store-rooms; above this is the main hall measuring some 22 feet (6.7 m) by 17 feet (5.2 m). The third and fourth floors are divided into smaller rooms. The southward projection contains a large spiral staircase, from which a further spiral stair leads to the roof and to a small room above the main stair.
Although imposing, the building is not defensible. Unlike earlier examples such as Drum Castle
Drum Castle
Drum Castle is a castle near Drumoak in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. For centuries it was the seat of the chief of Clan Irvine. The place-name Drum is derived from Gaelic druim, 'ridge'....
, the walls are hollowed out with additional staircases and, to quote the 1898 description, "commodious closets".