A Walk Round Galston

I was called out to the watching brief in Galston again today, so I took a little walk through the town to show you the sights,

When I asked my colleague who was originally billeted on this job what she thought of the tower-house, she looked very blank, and said, "Tower-house?  What tower-house?"

She obviously didn't look in the right place.  Because if you look in the right direction, this is what you see:-

It's Barr Castle, It dates to the early fifteenth century, and was the family seat of the Lockharts of Barr.

Here's some close-ups:-

It's so obviously built for defence, as its windows are really small, with none on the ground floor.  The corbelling around the wallhead and the corner turrets ('bartisans') are also extremely characteristic of the fifteen century building style.  It would probably have been coated in lime harling.

Photographing these urban survivors is quite tricky, as they're really long and they look a bit strange in isolation!

Another interesting building is St Sophia's Roman Catholic Church, which is extremely unusual in that it's laid out on a cruciform plan with a central dome.  I'm sure someone once told me it was based on the plan of a basilica.

 
 

But there's some less encouraging sights to see.  I suggested to my husband that perhaps we'd like to take on a DIY project in Galston, and help a little building in distress.  Not surprisingly, my suggestion was firmly vetoed:-

 

I wonder what the story is behind this tragic scene.  Whatever the circumstances, this poor little Victorian or Edwardian villa's days appear to be numbered...

 

A Walk Round Galston

I was called out to the watching brief in Galston again today, so I took a little walk through the town to show you the sights,

When I asked my colleague who was originally billeted on this job what she thought of the tower-house, she looked very blank, and said, "Tower-house?  What tower-house?"

She obviously didn't look in the right place.  Because if you look in the right direction, this is what you see:-

It's Barr Castle, It dates to the early fifteenth century, and was the family seat of the Lockharts of Barr.

Here's some close-ups:-

It's so obviously built for defence, as its windows are really small, with none on the ground floor.  The corbelling around the wallhead and the corner turrets ('bartisans') are also extremely characteristic of the fifteen century building style.  It would probably have been coated in lime harling.

Photographing these urban survivors is quite tricky, as they're really long and they look a bit strange in isolation!

Another interesting building is St Sophia's Roman Catholic Church, which is extremely unusual in that it's laid out on a cruciform plan with a central dome.  I'm sure someone once told me it was based on the plan of a basilica.

 
 

But there's some less encouraging sights to see.  I suggested to my husband that perhaps we'd like to take on a DIY project in Galston, and help a little building in distress.  Not surprisingly, my suggestion was firmly vetoed:-

 

I wonder what the story is behind this tragic scene.  Whatever the circumstances, this poor little Victorian or Edwardian villa's days appear to be numbered...