Dryden Tower

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 22/01/1971 Last Date Amended 17/07/2015 Local Authority Midlothian Planning Authority Midlothian Parish Lasswade NGR NT 26969 64655 Coordinates 326969, 664655 — Mid 19th century. 3-stage, square-plan gothick tower with corbelled parapet and northeast-facing, D-plan structure at base (1st stage). Ashlar sandstone with polished dressings; margins to openings; cornice and blocking course between 1st and 2nd stage; cornice course between 2nd and 3rd stage; raised cills to 3rd stage; strip quoins to 3rd stage; consoled battlements with corbelled, octagonal pinnacles to angles. Stone gargoyle rainwater spout added circa 2014. 1ST STAGE: NE ELEVATION: 3-bay. Evenly disposed square-plan columns with cornice and square cap (one missing) between each bay. Single window (blinded) to each bay; ashlar cope to wall sections between. SW ELEVATION: paired slit windows to advanced 1st stage of tower; flanking windows to base structure (one blinded). 2ND STAGE: 2 small square-headed windows with small round headed window above, within recessed round-headed arch to each face. 3RD STAGE: round-arched window with circular window above to each face. INTERIOR: turnpike stair inside tower. — Initially intended as a hilltop eye-catcher for Dryden House, demolished in 1938, and is still a prominent landmark. It originally belonged to a wider landscape known locally as The Pleasure which was destroyed by the construction of Bilston Glen colliery. It was perhaps built to commemorate the Battle of Roslin, 24th February, 1303, when the Scots successfully defeated three English Divisions. The tower first appears on the 1854 Ordnance Survey map of Edinburghshire. Repairs during 2014-15 saw the introduction of a stone gargoyle rainwater spout to upper eaves course of tower. Listed

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.