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Cockburnspath House

Cockburnspath House, also known as Sparrow Castle, is a much-altered 16th century castle in the village of Cockburnspath.

Built of local red sandstone, possibly in 1547, it is sometimes also referred to as the Old Manor House and stands on rising ground above the Cockburnspath Burn, next to St. Helen’s Church.

It consists of two separate blocks, two corners of which are joined together by a round stair tower. The northern block is rectangular in plan and runs north-north-west to south-south-east. It has a vaulted basement with an entrance at first floor level now reached via an external stone staircase, with a third storey above. A 17th century painted ceiling features line drawings which are similar in style to those at Nunraw House.

The southern block is squarer in plan and only two storeys in height. On the south wall are two windows with carved stone bead and hollow moulding surrounds and a third smaller window with a partial bead and hollow moulding surround.

Two blocked-up windows on the east wall also feature similar surrounds, as does a door at ground level.

On the west wall three stone corbels project from just below the roof level, above and to the left of a small window.

This block is connected to the northern block at its south-east corner, and in the re-entrant angle on the west side is a round stair tower. Originally there was a doorway at ground level here although the stairs have now been removed up to first floor level where a doorway now gives access to a raised garden terrace. Above this door is a small window, and above that is possible evidence of the bottom of a square caphouse.

The roofs of both buildings have been significantly altered, now featuring pitched roofs with modern tiles, but may originally have had gables at each end of an attic level.

In 1603 Sparrow Castle was owned by the Arnot family, the year that James VI founded a postal service between Edinburgh and London. Sir John Arnot was a former Provost of Edinburgh later created Treasurer-depute of Scotland in 1604. Sir John’s son William and grandson John were responsible for the postal station, and were duty bound to “to keep continually in their stable or have in readiness three habill and sufficient post horses, with furniture convenient for the service of his Majestie’s packets only as well by night as by day, and two horns to sound as oft as they meet the company, or at least three times in every mile.” William was apparently generous with his hospitality and was bankrupt by 1625.

This may have been when the Douglas family moved to Cockburnspath House from Cockburnspath Tower, described as being “early in the 17th century”.

Oliver Cromwell’s troops occupied the neighbouring church following the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, and it’s reputed that Cromwell may have stayed in Cockburnspath House.

There seems to be little mention of Cockburnspath House from the middle of the 17th century until the 20th century. It was owned by the Young family in the first decade of the 20th century when it was run as a lodging house, and later owned by the Stevenson family in the 1920s, one of whom was a teacher in the local school, until the 1980s. It is now a private home.

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Alternative names for Cockburnspath House

Old Manor House; Sparrow Castle

Clans associated with Cockburnspath House

Arnott

Douglas

Home

Surnames associated with Cockburnspath House

Arnot

Arnott

Douglas

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Where is Cockburnspath House?

Cockburnspath House is in the parish of Cockburnspath and the county of Berwickshire.

Grid reference: NT 77477 71049

Lat / long: 55.931974, -2.3620647

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OS Map for Cockburnspath House

OS map 346
Berwick-upon-Tweed (Eyemouth, Duns, St Abb’s Head & Cockburnspath)
OS Explorer map 346


OS map 351
Dunbar & North Berwick (Musselburgh & Haddington)
OS Explorer map 351


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Directions to Cockburnspath House

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Weather at Cockburnspath House

10°C
max 10°C / min 10°C
21km/h NNE
1020mb
76%
98%
03:46 20:25

Overcast clouds
Weather observed at Dunglass at 08:52

References (books)

From the Bloody Heart
Oliver Thomson
Stroud, 2003
History of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club (Volume 38, Part 3)
Various
Spittal, 1971
The Castles of Scotland
Martin Coventry
Prestongrange, 2015

References (websites)

Listed Building record
Canmore

Castles near Cockburnspath House

Dunglass Castle (site of)

1.1km away

Cockburnspath Tower

1.6km away

Bowshiel Tower (site of)

3.5km away

Black Castle

3.7km away

Thornton Castle (site of)

4.6km away

Innerwick Castle

4.8km away

Kilspindie Castle

6.7km away

Renton Peel (site of)

7.5km away

Meikle Pinkerton (possible) (site of)

8.6km away
more castles....
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Ancient sites near Cockburnspath House

The Chesters fort

4.4km away

Broxmouth (site of) fort

9.7km away

Edin's Hall broch and fort

10.7km away

Cockburn Law fort

11.3km away

The Chesters fort

11.8km away

Broomhouse Mains souterrain

15.1km away

Duns Law fort

16.4km away

Castle Dikes fort

16.9km away

Kirklandhill standing stone

17.0km away
more ancient sites....
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Pictish stones near Cockburnspath House

The Coves, Caiplie Class I symbols

38.9km away

Crail Class III cross-slab

40.3km away

Abercrombie 1 Class III cross slab

41.1km away

Abercrombie 2 Class III cross slab

41.1km away

Abercrombie 3 Class III cross slab

41.1km away

Abercrombie 4 Class III cross slab

41.1km away

Largo Class II cross slab

47.8km away

Scoonie Class II cross slab

49.6km away

Sliding Cave Class I rock carving

50.2km away
more Pictish stones....
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Pictish sites near Cockburnspath House

Hoardweel silver chain

11.2km away

Traprain Law silver chain

19.5km away

Haddington silver chain

26.0km away

Whitlaw silver chain

35.9km away

Norrie's Law hoard

51.5km away

Borland silver chain

75.2km away

Todholes (possible) silver chain

77.5km away

Whitecleugh silver chain

108.3km away

Dunnicaer fort

114.0km away
more Pictish sites....
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Accommodation near Cockburnspath House

The Craw Inn
hotelReston
12.9km away
Rowan Cottage Guest House
hotelDunbar
13.1km away
Pavilion Lodge, Duns Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
16.7km away
Bank House, Duns
self-catering apartmentDuns
17.2km away
Sawmill Cottage
self-catering cottageTyninghame
18.1km away
Old Linthill
self-cateringEyemouth
18.2km away
Groom's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
18.3km away
Keeper's Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
18.3km away
West Lodge, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
18.6km away
Garden Cottage, Wedderburn Castle
self-catering cottageDuns
18.7km away

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more accommodation....

Cafés, restaurants & bars near Cockburnspath House

Allanton Inn
hotel, bar, restaurantDuns
19.0km away
Smeaton Nursery Gardens & Tearoom
caféEast Linton
19.5km away
Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa
hotel, restaurant, barNorth Berwick
27.5km away
Hirsel Cottage Tea Room
caféColdstream
31.2km away
Castle Hotel
hotel, bar, restaurantColdstream
32.0km away
Ducks at Kilspindie House
hotel, restaurant, barAberlady
32.3km away
Gosford Bothy Farm Shop
caféAberlady
32.7km away
The Courtyard Restaurant, Floors Castle
café, restaurantKelso
36.8km away
The Terrace Café, Floors Castle
caféKelso
37.2km away
Symphony Craw's Nest Hotel and Restaurant
hotel, restaurant, barAnstruther
38.6km away
more food.... / more drink....

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Inveraray Castle and standing stone
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Dunbar harbour and castle
Published on the 15th of June 2012 at 5:49 pm. Updated on the 25th of April 2020 at 8:33 am.

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Andy Sweet above Fast Castle

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