York Tower, Knock of Alves

Heritage listing

Category B Date Added 25/04/1989 Local Authority Moray Planning Authority Moray Parish Alves NGR NJ 16322 62962 Coordinates 316322, 862962 — TOWER: Possibly William Robertson, Elgin, dated 5th January, 1827. Gothic, 3-storey octagonal folly on hilltop site. Harl pointed rubble, tooled and polished ashlar dressings. Pointed-headed, hoodmoulded entrance in E face with worn masked stops to hoodmould and single order of nailhead decoration to moulded recessed doorway. Dated plaque above entrance which is flanked by blind cruciform arrow slits; similar slits to alternate faces in ground and 1st floors with long 'keyhole' slits in upper storey; round-headed windows in alternate faces in 1st floor and 2nd floors, in 2nd with mask decoration to cill corbels; pulvinated string course delineates each storey. Corbelled and crenellated wallhead with small stack masked by crenellation; flat roof with centre flagstaff. INTERIOR: rubble walled interior with access too each floor by crude wooden staircase; small mural fireplace in upper room. MAUSOLEUM: probably Thomas Mackenzie, architect, circa 1850. Subterranean vault, revealed only at N by tooled rubble wall with block pedimented walled-up entrance, under square railed enclosure. Rectangular tomb in centre of enclosure on stepped base under shallow pyramidal shaped top with angle acroteria decorated with carved thistles. Inscribed polished granite tablets (3 each side and single tablet each end) set into side of tomb. Cast-iron spearhead railings. — Plaque above entrance inscribed 'York Tower, 5th Jany. 1827'. Erected by Alexander Forteath of Newton to commemorate Frederick Augustus, Duke of York, born 16 August 1783, died 5 January 1827. It stands on a commanding hilltop site, also site of a prehistoric fort. Alexander Forteath (b

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.