Hoddom Castle
I absolutley love Hoddom castle (despite only beng able to see it from the parking area of an absolutely enormous caravan partk and chip shop...It's slowly mouldering away behind its walls, the courtyard filled with rusting cars and rubbish bins. I'd totally love to buy this and move in. (We'd have to live n a caravan, until there was electricity and plumbing and roofs and...well, you get the picture)
the castle stands in a caravan park - abandoned and empty
16th century castle
This is an absolutely massive castle, with towers and buildings and walls -- it's hard to get a good sense of the layout, since it is behind tall curtain walls and no access is available.
The main castle is an l-plan tower with four storeys and an attic, with a slightly taller stair tower. The tower measures 15.5m x 11m, and there is a sturdy wall-walk along the top, surroudning an attic, and decorated with a wide course of stones.
A 19th century mansion was attached, but it has been demolished.
a decorated course of corbelled stone for the top floors of the main tower
Ownership
The Carlyles owned the estate here in the 12th century. The Herries family owned it in the 14th and 15th century.
In 1549 the Irvines held the property. The tower was built by the Maxwells, who acquired the lands from the Irvines.
The tower was captured and blown up in 1570 by the English, but it was rebuilt by the Murrays of Cockpool in 1627, and later the Earls of SOuthesk in 1653. It was sold a few more times before being left to ruin -- first by the Sharp family and then to the Brooks family in 1878.
the entrance gate to a service courtyard and shop for the caravan park