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The Border Towers of Scotland 2 Their Evolution & Architecture : Maxwell-Irving

The Border Towers of Scotland 2 Their Evolution & Architecture : Maxwell-Irving

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THE BORDER TOWERS OF SCOTLAND 2:
Their Evolution and Architecture

By Alastair Maxwell-Inrving

Printed by Solway Offset for the Author, 2014. FIrst Edition. Large hardback book with dust jacket, 483 pages, profusely illustrated in colour and b&w.

CONDITION
A very good clean copy. The dust jacket is in very good condition with no tears or marks. All contents present and pages very clean throughout. No writing or names to the book. Overall a very good first edition.

SYNOPSIS
This  volume is  devoted  to  the architecture of  the  surviving  towers  in  the West, Middle and East Marches of the Borders, from the River Cree in the west to  the  North  Sea  in  the east, regardless  of  whether they  are complete and inhabited or in various stages of dereliction.  Unlike the first volume, which dealt solely with the West March, describing in detail both the towers and the families associated with them, this volume concentrates primarily on  the  architecture of the towers, with only passing references to their families.

As a prelude, there is a short introduction describing how the towers evolved from  the  earliest  defensive  towers  in  the  Middle  East,  some  4000  years  ago, to become the great towers or tower-castles that became the stronghold of choice in Scotland from the  middle of  the 14th century onwards. The  tower-house, however,  was  not so  much a  natural  development, as an  economic  compromise for the   families whowere   virtually   bankrupt after, first   the   Wars   of Independence and later the disastrous battle of Flodden.

The first half of the book describes the towers in roughly chronological order, dealing first with the great towers of the 14th and 15th centuries, and then the lesser towers of the 16th century, together with the urban strongholds, bastle-houses,  pele-houses  and  peles  of  the   latter  period. Nearly  200  of  these strongholds  are  described,  some  in  considerable  detail,  while  others,  now  in  an advanced state of decay, only merit a passing mention.  Later chapters relate how some  of  the  towers  were  developed  in  the  17th  century,  while  others  were superseded  by  more  modern  houses  and  mansions. Then  in  the  19th  and  20th centuries, a revival of interest in these ancient buildings has led to many of thembeing restored as family homes.

The second half of the book is devoted to detailed descriptions of the many features  that  went  to  make  up  the  towers― from the  barmkins  and  gateways, entrance  doorways, yetts, and basements with  their  gun-loops  and  prisons  at ground level, to the parapet-walks, turrets, watch-towers, and beacons at the top. In addition, there are sections on ancillary features, such as kitchens, furnishings, outbuildings, masons’ marks, gardens, deer parks and fish ponds.

There are maps for each March, showing the locations of the various towers; an extensive  bibliography;  a glossary; and a comprehensive index  to  all  the principal subjects.



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