Description

16th century tower with many later, notably mid 19th century, alterations and additions. 4-storey and attic tower with 2-storey and attic additions forming L-plan; further lower 2-storey service wing. Sandstone rubble.

TOWER: to SE. Enlarged windows, modern gabled stone wallhead dormers with thistle finials.

SE ELEVATION: gabled with window to each floor; apex stack.

NE ELEVATION: pair of gun-loops at ground, window to left at 1st floor, 2 windows to 2nd floor, dormer to left.

SW ELEVATION: as above but 2 windows to 1st floor.

12-pane timber and sash and case windows; crowstepped gables with beak skewputts (reconstituted stone); dormers with flat ashlar skews.

19TH CENTURY WING: SW ELEVATION: 3-bay, tower adjoins to right. 2 bays to right with projecting gabled porch at ground; bipartite windows to front and left return, panelled door to right return; bipartite window to right, 2 single windows above; broad gabled bay to left with 2-storey corniced canted window and single window in gablehead.

4-pane timber sash and case windows; saw-tooth coping to gables and corbel skewputts.

NW ELEVATION: 3-bay. Projecting bay to right with window at ground and timber oriel window above; centre bay with glazed door at ground and window above, small round window to right at 1st floor; left bay with window to both floors. Low extended harled rear of service range to left with 2 windows, dormer and rooflights.

SE ELEVATION: tower advanced to left. 2 bays of house with 3 steps to modern door to left; deep-set in heavily chamfered red ashlar round-headed doorcase with narrow light to left; window above; right bay with window to both floors and canted piend-roofed dormer. NE return gable with apex stack, small window at ground to left and in gablehead. Set-back 4-bay service range to right with 2 doors, 3 irregular windows and garage door deep-set under depressed arch to right; window to each bay above. Pair of garages beyond with steeply-pitched piended roof; window to end wall. House with 12-pane timber sash and case windows, 4-pane to service wing. Ashlar coped skews; grey slates; coped rubble stacks, brick to service wing.

STABLES: L-plan; squared and snecked pink sandstone with ashlar dressings. W range with door and flanking windows to court; piended roof. E range with pair of 2-lef stable doors and window to right at ground; boarded door in gabled dormer breaking eaves to hay-loft above; blank gable to E return with coped skews.

Timber casement windows; grey slates.

BOUNDARY AND GARDENS WALLS: low rubble boundary wall to road; tall rubble walls with boulder coping partly enclosing garden to SW and curved down at intervals.

Statement of Interest

Little now remains of the 16th century tower save the vaulted basement and gun loops, successive waves of improvements transforming the structure in the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. The service wing was apparently added in 1855, and the tower altered 10 years later; these latter alterations were removed in 1990/91 and the tower reconstructed under the direction of Philip Mercer ARIBA. The single storey billiard wing to the NW was also demolished at this time. It is possible that the service wing adjoined the stable court in the 19th century (see 1st and 2nd edition OS maps). The tower is the only surviving one of the 3 which were once in Lanton; it was acquired by Lord Cranston in 1627, and later sold to the Douglas's of Cavers. It later passed into the hands of the Inglis family, and was acquired in the late 19th century by the Robson-Scotts. They kept the Jedforest Hunt hounds at Lanton from 1903 until 1932.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Lanton Tower at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17836604

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Worcestershire Revised Edition (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)