east-lothian-1924/05-068

Transcription

ATHELSTANEFORD] INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. [ATHELSTANEFORD

a building contemporaneous with that on the
south. Three old gunloops are built into the
west wall.
The castle has apparently been erected in the
16th century.
HISTORICAL NOTE. - On the Garleton lands
see Introd. p. xxvii. Apparently this was the
successor of the house with lands of Easter
Garleton or Garmylton-Noble ¹ owned by Sir
John Towers of Inverleith, from whom the
third Earl of Winton bought half of Athel-
staneford, conferring Garleton upon his fourth

[Drawing inserted]
FIG. 47. - The Chesters, Drem (No. 13).

son, Sir John Seton, Bart., of Garleton, origi-
nator of that branch of the Seton family.

1 See R.M.S. (1489) No. 1908.

v. S.W. 26 June 1913.

12. Dovecot. - Within a field north of the
parish manse is a dovecot 15 1/2 feet square and
some 25 feet in height, which is built in three
stages of irregularly coursed freestone and
covered with a lean-to roof. On the lintel of
the doorway in the west wall is inscribed in
relief, within a panel, the initials G H and the
date 1583.

v. S.E. 30 June 1912.

DEFENSIVE CONSTRUCTIONS.

13. Fort, The Chesters, Drem. - Some 3/4 mile
south-south-west of Drem Station, at an
elevation of over 200 feet above sea-level and
overlooking the plain stretching northwards to
the Forth, is a narrow ridge, steep on the sides
but sloping more gently towards the ends.
About 50 yards to the south is a sharp bluff,
which overtops it by more than 50 feet. The
ridge, which rises from 40 to 50 feet above the
general level, runs east and west, and is occupied
by a fine fort, oval on plan, measuring about
390 feet in length and 160 feet in breadth
internally (fig. 47). It is defended by an elab-
orate series of ramparts of stone and earth
erected on the slopes of the ridge ; these are
well preserved at the west end (fig. 13) but
much dilapidated on the flanks and at the
eastern extremity. The defences consist of two
ramparts entirely encircling the fort with
further external lines of walling, which vary in
number at different parts. Outside the two
inner walls are three others on the northern
flank, one on the southern flank, five short
mounds across the western end, and to the
east a series of short curvilinear breastworks
(fig. 48). Thus there are five lines of defence to

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