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Abbey House

Abbey House, which houses the Melrose Tourist Information Office, has at its core a much-altered defensive tower.

When exactly the old tower was built isn’t known, however it is most likely that it pre-dates the Reformation of the 16th century and post-dates the Wars of Independence of the 14th century. Roughly square in plan, it consisted of two storeys with thick walls and may have had an external stair tower. It was probably built as protection for Melrose Abbey nearby.

The castle was extended from the east gable and converted into a house around the end of the 17th or beginning of the 18th centuries, with the join between the old and new masonry clearly visible on the north and south walls.

The house was extensively remodelled around 1800, with the first floor of the tower turned into a drawing room. During the 20th century several parts of the building were repaired or rebuilt using brick rather than stone.

In 2007 a small section of the exterior west wall of the house collapsed which afforded archaeologists the opportunity to examine the construction of the wall. It was found to contain structural remains consistent with a medieval square tower, with speculation that some of the wall may even pre-date that structure.

Today Melrose Tourist Information Office is located within Abbey House.

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Where is Abbey House?

Abbey House is in the parish of Melrose and the county of Roxburghshire.

Grid reference: NT 54767 34168

Lat / long: 55.599018, -2.719393

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Bing Maps | Google Maps | Historic maps (NLS) | OpenStreetMap | Ordnance Survey | PastMap | Streetmap | Wikimapia

OS Map for Abbey House

OS map 338
Galashiels, Selkirk & Melrose (St Boswell’s & Lauder)
OS Explorer map 338


Directions to Abbey House

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Weather at Abbey House

7°C
max 9°C / min 6°C
5km/h NNW
1029mb
87%
99%
03:59 20:14

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Melrose at 06:29
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References (books)

The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore

Castles near Abbey House

Commendator's House

0.1km away

Little Peel (site of)

1.5km away

Fisher's Tower

1.6km away

Darnick Tower

1.6km away

Eildon (possible) (site of)

2.2km away

Westhouses (site of)

2.7km away

Bowden (site of)

3.7km away

Gledswood

3.8km away

Maxpoffle (site of)

4.0km away
more castles....

Ancient sites near Abbey House

Eildon Hill North fort

1.5km away

Newstead (site of) souterrains

1.9km away

Brothers' Stones standing stone

7.3km away

Earlston standing stone

7.4km away

Littledean fort

8.9km away

Torwoodlee broch and fort

9.3km away

Bow Castle broch

11.4km away

Cambridge standing stone

14.6km away

Bruntaburn Mill standing stone

16.4km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Abbey House

Borthwick Mains Class I symbol stone

22.9km away

Abernethy No. 2 Class III symbol stone

48.7km away

Abernethy No. 4 Class III cross shaft

48.7km away

Princes Street Gardens Class I symbol stone

49.4km away

Court Cave Class I rock carving

66.0km away

Doo Cave Class I rock carving

66.1km away

Jonathan's Cave Class I rock carving

66.2km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

66.2km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

69.3km away
more Pictish stones....

Pictish sites near Abbey House

Whitlaw silver chain

14.5km away

Hoardweel silver chain

35.3km away

Haddington silver chain

39.4km away

Traprain Law silver chain

40.8km away

Borland silver chain

50.0km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

52.1km away

Norrie's Law hoard

74.4km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

74.7km away

Dunnicaer fort

154.1km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Abbey House

George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
0.2km away
Melrose SYHA Hostel
hostelMelrose
0.3km away
The Buccleuch Arms Hotel
hotelSt Boswells
5.4km away
The Clovenfords Country Hotel
hotelGalashiels
10.0km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
10.4km away
Huntlywood Granary
bed and breakfastEarlston
11.2km away
Black Bull Hotel, Lauder
hotelLauder
13.5km away
Lauderdale Apartment
self-catering apartmentLauder
13.8km away
Broadmeadows SYHA Hostel
hostelSelkirk
13.9km away
Aikwood Tower
self-cateringSelkirk
15.1km away

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Cafés, restaurants & bars near Abbey House

George & Abbotsford Hotel
hotel, barMelrose
0.2km away
Baxters Selkirk
caféSelkirk
8.6km away
Selkirk Deli
caféSelkirk
9.5km away
Best Western Philipburn Country House Hotel
hotel, restaurant, barSelkirk
10.4km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
15.8km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
16.4km away
Johnstons of Elgin Eastmill Café
caféHawick
19.2km away
Saffron
restaurantInnerleithen
21.8km away
No1 Peebles Road
caféInnerleithen
21.9km away
Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, Golf & Spa
hotel, bar, restaurantCardrona
25.7km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Published on the 10th of July 2016 at 6:20 pm. Updated on the 21st of August 2016 at 5:07 pm.

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About

Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

Stravaiging around Scotland is written, photographed and researched by Andy Sweet.
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