Craigcrook Castle
Encyclopedia
Craigcrook Castle is a well-preserved castle
in Blackhall
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the centre of Edinburgh
, Scotland
. The castle primarily of the 17th century, though with later additions. In the 19th century it was the home of Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, and became known for its literary gatherings. The castle is today occupied as business premises, and is a category B listed building.
. They passed through several more owners before 1542, when William Adamson, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, took possession. Adamson owned large estates in what is now north-western Edinburgh, including Craigleith
, Groathill and Clermiston
. Adamson was killed at the Battle of Pinkie on 10 September 1547. The Adamson family constructed, or reconstructed, Craigcrook Castle, and owned it until 1659, when it was sold to John Mein, a merchant in Edinburgh. Ten years later it became the home of Sir John Hall of Dunglass
, who later was the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1689. Hall sold the property in 1682 to Walter Pringle, advocate
, who in turn sold it, in 1689, to John Strachan, Writer to the Signet. On Strachan's death in 1719, his property, including Craigcrook Castle, was left for charitable purposes. The charitable Craigcrook Mortification, which was set up on the death of John Strachan, retains ownership of the castle and grounds.
It is not known when the castle itself was constructed. From the style of building, the majority of the castle has been dated to the early 17th century. However, the nature of the vaulting
inside suggests that the core of an earlier fortalice was extensively rebuilt or extended at this time.
Archibald Constable
, the publisher, occupied it until 1815 when it became the home of the lawyer and literary critic Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773–1850). Soon after he took on the tenancy, Jeffrey added a drawing room wing to the north; and in 1835 he commissioned William Playfair
to remodel the main building and rebuild the east. During the tenancies of Constable and Jeffrey Sir Walter Scott visited the castle frequently. The castle is said to be haunted by Lord Jeffrey.
Another 19th century tenant was the writer and politician William Stirling who, in 1855, offered the use of the grounds to the English poet Gerald Massey
, then in Edinburgh as an editor on the Edinburgh News. Massey subsequently wrote the poem Craigcrook Castle, considered to be one of his most accomplished poems in blank verse
.
The tenant after Jeffrey's death was John Hunter Watt. Craigcrook Castle was known during the 19th century for its literary soirées; among the guests were Charles Dickens
, Hans Christian Andersen
, George Eliot
and Lord Tennyson.
A billiard room
was added to the east by Robert Croall in about 1891, the architect being Thomas Leadbetter. Another extension was added, after the property became the base for an architectural practice, in 1968. The castle was listed on 14 July 1966. Craigcrook was the Scottish headquarters of Marine Harvest Ltd, a multinational fish-farming company, between 1986 and 2004. Benjamin Tindall Architects restored the interior in 1989. It is now occupied as a commercial property by house builders Barratt (East Scotland)
, Scottish Field Magazine, design practice Zebrano, Special Publications, and Craigcrook Interiors Ltd.
, and was a fine country house convenient for the city. The history of the Parish
of Cramond
says, "To the S.W. of Drylaw
, in a hollow at the foot of Corstorphine Hill, which here makes a turn or crook to the eastward, whence the name is derived, stands Craigcrook, apparently the most antient edifice in the parish".
It originated as a Z-plan
tower house
, but has had numerous additions, with the result that both within and without there is a jumble of styles. There is a round tower on the south west corner, and a square tower to the north east.
The main block is about 60 by, and three storeys high. The ground floor was formerly vaulted
. as is the upper floor of the round tower. The round tower is 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter. The square tower's sides are 17 feet (5.2 m) long, with the stairs at the south east angle. There is an entrance tower, built by Playfair. The castle has crow-stepped gables and pediment dormer windows. Some of the 19th century interior work of is interest, including murals by David Roberts
.
A 17th century wall still encloses the garden which has a roll-moulded arched gateway, the pediment
of which is dated 1626.
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Blackhall
Blackhall, Edinburgh
Blackhall is a suburb in the north west of the Scottish capital city Edinburgh.Blackhall according to Stuart Harris in "The Place Names Of Edinburgh" states that the "Black" could derive either from the Anglican blaec or Scots blac meaning simply black, and the "Hall" ending is the Anglican "Halh"...
, about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the centre of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, 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 castle primarily of the 17th century, though with later additions. In the 19th century it was the home of Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey, and became known for its literary gatherings. The castle is today occupied as business premises, and is a category B listed building.
History
The lands of Craigcrook were, in the 14th century, in the possession of the Graham family. In 1362 the lands were given to the chaplains of St. Giles' CathedralSt. Giles' Cathedral
St Giles' Cathedral, more properly termed the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to...
. They passed through several more owners before 1542, when William Adamson, a merchant and burgess of Edinburgh, took possession. Adamson owned large estates in what is now north-western Edinburgh, including Craigleith
Craigleith, Edinburgh
Craigleith is a district of north Edinburgh, Scotland. Its name comes from the Scottish Gaelic Creag liath meaning 'grey rock' which was obtained from Craigleith quarry. Much of the Craigleith sandstone was used to build the old and new town houses in Edinburgh as well as many famous buildings...
, Groathill and Clermiston
Clermiston
Clermiston is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, to the north of Clerwood and west of Corstorphine Hill.Clermiston estate, built in 1954, was part of a major 1950s house-building programme to tackle overcrowding in Leith and Gorgie...
. Adamson was killed at the Battle of Pinkie on 10 September 1547. The Adamson family constructed, or reconstructed, Craigcrook Castle, and owned it until 1659, when it was sold to John Mein, a merchant in Edinburgh. Ten years later it became the home of Sir John Hall of Dunglass
Dunglass
Dunglass is a location in East Lothian, Scotland, lying east of the Lammermuir Hills on the North Sea coast. It has a 15th century Dunglass Collegiate Church, now in the care of Historic Scotland...
, who later was the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 1689. Hall sold the property in 1682 to Walter Pringle, advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
, who in turn sold it, in 1689, to John Strachan, Writer to the Signet. On Strachan's death in 1719, his property, including Craigcrook Castle, was left for charitable purposes. The charitable Craigcrook Mortification, which was set up on the death of John Strachan, retains ownership of the castle and grounds.
It is not known when the castle itself was constructed. From the style of building, the majority of the castle has been dated to the early 17th century. However, the nature of the vaulting
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
inside suggests that the core of an earlier fortalice was extensively rebuilt or extended at this time.
Archibald Constable
Archibald Constable
Archibald Constable was a Scottish publisher, bookseller and stationer.He was born at Carnbee, Fife, as the son of the land steward to the Earl of Kellie. In 1788 Archibald was apprenticed to Peter Hill, an Edinburgh bookseller, but in 1795 he started in business for himself as a dealer in rare...
, the publisher, occupied it until 1815 when it became the home of the lawyer and literary critic Francis Jeffrey, Lord Jeffrey (1773–1850). Soon after he took on the tenancy, Jeffrey added a drawing room wing to the north; and in 1835 he commissioned William Playfair
William Playfair
William Playfair was a Scottish engineer and political economist, the founder of graphical methods of statistics....
to remodel the main building and rebuild the east. During the tenancies of Constable and Jeffrey Sir Walter Scott visited the castle frequently. The castle is said to be haunted by Lord Jeffrey.
Another 19th century tenant was the writer and politician William Stirling who, in 1855, offered the use of the grounds to the English poet Gerald Massey
Gerald Massey
Gerald Massey was an English poet and self-educated Egyptologist. He was born near Tring, Hertfordshire in England.-Biography:...
, then in Edinburgh as an editor on the Edinburgh News. Massey subsequently wrote the poem Craigcrook Castle, considered to be one of his most accomplished poems in blank verse
Blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
.
The tenant after Jeffrey's death was John Hunter Watt. Craigcrook Castle was known during the 19th century for its literary soirées; among the guests were Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, George Eliot
George Eliot
Mary Anne Evans , better known by her pen name George Eliot, was an English novelist, journalist and translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era...
and Lord Tennyson.
A billiard room
Billiard room
A billiard room is a recreation room, such as in a house or recreation center, with a billiards, pool or snooker table...
was added to the east by Robert Croall in about 1891, the architect being Thomas Leadbetter. Another extension was added, after the property became the base for an architectural practice, in 1968. The castle was listed on 14 July 1966. Craigcrook was the Scottish headquarters of Marine Harvest Ltd, a multinational fish-farming company, between 1986 and 2004. Benjamin Tindall Architects restored the interior in 1989. It is now occupied as a commercial property by house builders Barratt (East Scotland)
Barratt Developments
Barratt Developments PLC is one of the largest residential property development companies in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1958 as Greensitt Bros. but control was later assumed by Sir Lawrie Barratt. It was originally based in Newcastle upon Tyne but is now located at David Wilson's former...
, Scottish Field Magazine, design practice Zebrano, Special Publications, and Craigcrook Interiors Ltd.
Description
The castle is close to Corstorphine HillCorstorphine Hill
Corstorphine Hill is one of the hills of Edinburgh, Scotland, named for nearby Corstorphine. There are traditionally said to be seven hills in Edinburgh in reference to the Seven hills of Rome, but this figure is debatable, and as the city has expanded, even more so...
, and was a fine country house convenient for the city. The history of the Parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Cramond
Cramond
Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....
says, "To the S.W. of Drylaw
Drylaw
Drylaw is a suburb in the north west of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland between Blackhall and Granton. Formerly the estate of Drylaw House, the home of the Loch family, the area became the site of a major housing scheme in the 1950s designed to rehouse the occupants in Leith. It is on the A902...
, in a hollow at the foot of Corstorphine Hill, which here makes a turn or crook to the eastward, whence the name is derived, stands Craigcrook, apparently the most antient edifice in the parish".
It originated as a Z-plan
Z-plan castle
Z Plan is a form of castle design common in England and Scotland. The Z-plan castle has a strong central rectangular tower with smaller towers attached at diagonally opposite corners....
tower house
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...
, but has had numerous additions, with the result that both within and without there is a jumble of styles. There is a round tower on the south west corner, and a square tower to the north east.
The main block is about 60 by, and three storeys high. The ground floor was formerly vaulted
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
. as is the upper floor of the round tower. The round tower is 20 feet (6.1 m) in diameter. The square tower's sides are 17 feet (5.2 m) long, with the stairs at the south east angle. There is an entrance tower, built by Playfair. The castle has crow-stepped gables and pediment dormer windows. Some of the 19th century interior work of is interest, including murals by David Roberts
David Roberts (painter)
David Roberts RA was a Scottish painter. He is especially known for a prolific series of detailed lithograph prints of Egypt and the Near East that he produced during the 1840s from sketches he made during long tours of the region . These, and his large oil paintings of similar subjects, made him...
.
A 17th century wall still encloses the garden which has a roll-moulded arched gateway, the pediment
Pediment
A pediment is a classical architectural element consisting of the triangular section found above the horizontal structure , typically supported by columns. The gable end of the pediment is surrounded by the cornice moulding...
of which is dated 1626.