Fragmentary walls rise from a defended mound and causeway that may conceal an earlier earth-and-timber castle.
Quick facts
- Date
- Sixteenth century, possibly on an earlier castle mound; scheduled 2000
- Architect / designer
- Associated with the Cranstouns of Oxenford
- Type
- Ruined tower house, earthworks and causeway
- Designation
- Scheduled monument (SM8876)
- OS grid reference
- NT 60740 43851
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
Two walls of the oblong tower survive to considerable height, with rounded dressed corners, vaulted-floor evidence and remains of a turnpike stair. Banks, ditches, a causeway and a possible outbuilding spread across the prominent mound.
Its story
The Cranstouns of Oxenford held Corsbie from an early period until the mid-seventeenth century. The visible tower belongs to the sixteenth century, but surrounding defences may precede it. Its upper part was later adapted as a dovecot.
Why it is included
Scheduling protects an unusual sequence in which earthwork defences, possible earlier castle remains and a masonry tower can be studied together.
What to notice
- Rounded ashlar corners against rubble walling.
- Banks and ditches extending beyond the tower.
- The northern causeway crossing marshy ground.
Reading the surroundings
Boggy ground, fragile masonry and private land make unsanctioned approach unsafe. Use only lawful routes or permission and never climb walls, banks or the former stair.
Timeline
- Before the 1500s An earth-and-timber stronghold may have occupied the mound.
- Sixteenth century A substantial masonry tower replaced or augmented earlier defences.
- Mid-1600s The long Cranstoun association came to an end.
- 2000 The tower, earthworks and causeway were scheduled together.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The earlier castle is inferred from earthworks rather than securely dated excavation, and current access was not established.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Corsbie Tower, SM8876 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: SM8876 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NT 60740 43851 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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