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Summary

Description

Possibly late 16th to early 17th century in origin; earlier fabric incorporated in late 19th century Baronial remodelling with additions and alterations; modern additions. Asymmetrical plan. 4-storey, with 3rd floor breaking eaves, original square-plan tower and late 19th century garden elevation; 3-storey and basement late 19th century addition to E; 2-storey, with 1st floor breaking eaves, service wing to N. Coursed rubble, lightly rendered on original tower; red sandstone ashlar dressings. Chamfered margins. Ashlar mullions. Smooth margin drafts and angle margins, stugged rybats and lintels. Long and short quoins.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: late 19th century. Square entrance tower to right; chamfered angles to E, corbelled to square just below corbelled and crenellated parapet; roll-moulded segmental-arched doorway, with deep-set double-leaf door; bipartite window at 1st and 2nd floors. Gabled bay slightly recessed to left; corniced and crenellated canted window at ground floor, continued down to basement with dividing band course and decorative cast-iron basement guard (damaged); bipartite window at 1st floor; window at 2nd floor; thistle-finialled gable truncated by circular bartizan to left; with window to SE and conical roof. Circular turret set on roof behind entrance tower, with window to S, eaves cornice, conical roof and weather vane. Terrace wall, running E, adjoined to left.

N ELEVATION: entrance tower to left, with bipartite window at ground floor, window at basement, 1st and 2nd floors, NW angle above wallhead chamfered and corbelled to square; lower bay adjoined flush to right; wall, running N, adjoined to left of tower. Tripartite stair window to right and transom; 2 windows at basement. Gabled jamb adjoined to right, forming L-plan; door at basement and window to each floor, dormerhead at 3rd floor, to left return; 2-storey service wing adjoined to N gable.

S ELEVATION: 4-bay to 1st floor and attic, with irregularly sized windows and irregularly disposed windows below; original tower in 2 bays to left, with wallhead raised in late 19th century; late 19th century addition flush to right; modern flat-roofed 2-storey wing adjoined to left. 4 dormerheaded windows at 3rd floor (late 19th century).

Original tower: 2 windows to right at ground floor; 3 windows at 1st floor; 2 windows at 2nd floor. Circular bartizan to left (late 19th century), with window to SW and conical roof; bartizan to right. 2-bay addition to right: 2-storey corniced and crenellated tripartite rectangular window bridging bays, with garden door and window above to left return, windows to right return and dividing string course; bipartite windows at 2nd floor.

W ELEVATION: U-plan, formed by origingal tower to right, and service wing to left. Original tower: bartizan to right to W gable and window to right of centre at 2nd floor, above adjoining modern wing; shouldered wallhead stack to N return and 2-storey modern addition. 3 bays to W: nepus gable at centre, with stack and bipartite window; 2-storey modern addition in right bay; regularly disposed fenestration, bipartite window at centre at 2nd floor.

SERVICE WING: late 19th century, clasped by modern single storey additions to N, W and S. 2 windows in gablehead to E; modern window slapped at ground. 4 dormerheaded windows to N, bipartite in bay to left of centre; 3 later small windows inserted. 3 dormerheaded windows to S, converted to door to left; window to right at ground floor. Gablehead stacks and centre stack; coped skews. Plate glass glazing in sash and case windows, some 8-pane glazing, some modern glazing; coloured margins to stair window. Saw-tooth skews. Coped stacks, gablehead to W, ridge at centre to S roof. Fish-scale slates and leaded finials to conical roofs. Graded grey slates. Some original rainwater goods.

TERRACE WALL AND STAIRCASE: rubble wall, adjoined to SE of house, with balustraded staircase down to garden to S. Red sandstone corniced coping and urns (several missing). Glasshouse adjoined to wall to E of staircase.

Statement of Special Interest

Machermore Castle was originally built by Peter McDowall. There is a sketch of the early tower in M'Kerlie's HISTORY OF THE LANDS AND THEIR OWNERS IN GALLOWAY (p 445). The tower was enlarged to the E sometime between 1878 and 1894. Machermore Castle has been used as a residential home since 1954.

References

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