Description

The monument comprises the remains of Wallace's Tower, a medieval tower house believed to date to the 16th century, surrounded by an earlier enclosure. The tower survives as the ground floor of an L-plan tower with an additional square tower projecting from the southeast corner. The enclosure, most likely the remains of an earlier fortification or settlement, is now only identifiable as a cropmark through aerial photography. The monument is located in a field immediately to the southeast of the village of Roxburgh on a slight rise, at approximately 50m above sea level.

The tower is constructed of sandstone rubble with walls up to 1.6m thick, with roughly dressed quoins at the corners, although most have been robbed. The windows have dressed surrounds and internally some have stepped cills with sockets for bars. The principal entrance and stair are contained within the west wing, part of which is missing. Beyond the stair, a doorway leads to the ground floor of the main block. This space measures approximately 8.8m by 5m and has a barrel vault. It contains two wall cupboards and is lit by windows in the northwest, southwest and southeast walls. In the southwest wall a second doorway leads to a straight stair which appears to ascend to a landing within the west wing. The east tower is accessed by an angled wall passage from the main block. It comprises one chamber around 3.6m by 3.4m and has a barrel vault. There are slit windows in the northeast and southwest walls and a wall cupboard. The enclosure surrounding the tower is mainly circular, around 50m in diameter and defined by a ditch 2.5m wide. To the northeast is a sub rectangular projection enclosing an area 22m long by 7m wide. 

The scheduled area is circular measuring 75m in diameter. It includes the remains described above and an area around within which evidence relating to the monument's construction, use and abandonment is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The above ground elements of all current post and wire fencing are excluded to allow for their maintenance.  

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The national importance of the monument is demonstrated in the following way(s) (see Designations Policy and Selection Guidance, Annex 1, para 17):

a.  The monument is of national importance because it makes a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, as the remains of a medieval tower house. In particular, it can add to our understanding of the development of castellated architecture and the siting of castles in the landscape in the Middle March, an historic border region of Scotland.

b.   The monument retains structural, architectural, decorative or other physical attributes which make a significant contribution to our understanding or appreciation of the past, in particular late medieval castellated architecture. The plan form of the tower and the surrounding enclosure are of particular note.

d.  The monument is a good example of a late medieval tower house. Although only the ground floor survives, its plan form, arrangement of stairs and potential development sequence is of interest, as is its relationship with the surrounding enclosure. It is therefore an important representative of this monument type. 

e.   The monument has research potential which could significantly contribute to our understanding or appreciation of the past. In particular, its study would contribute to our understanding of Scottish castle architecture and historical research could provide a better understanding of its phases of construction; its later use and abandonment. Of interest is the relationship between the tower and the surrounding enclosure, which the tower appears to respect. 

f.   The monument makes a significant contribution to today's landscape and our understanding of the historic landscape. In particular it continues to provide a strong physical reminder of the area's medieval past. The monument can also be studied alongside other fortifications in the area to better understand their relationship as well as the castle's role in the development, control and administration of the surrounding landscape. This is of particular interest as this was a border area which saw significant conflict in the form of invasion from England and more informal reiving. 

g.  The monument has significant associations with the Kers of Cessford, an historic border family, who were granted a charter of East Mains of Roxburgh along with Wallace's Tower in 1543. The tower is believed to have been burnt by the English army in 1544 or 1545, during the 'Rough Wooing.' 

Assessment of Cultural Significance

This statement of national importance has been informed by the following assessment of cultural significance:

Intrinsic characteristics (how the remains of a site or place contribute to our knowledge of the past)Wallace's Tower is a good example of a medieval tower house. It is likely to have originally been built as an L-plan with the square east tower perhaps being added later, potentially after the tower was damaged by fire during the 'Rough Wooing' sometime between 1544 and 1545. Evidence of other phases of rebuilding may be indicated by the north wall, where the lower courses of masonry are of a distinctly different nature than the rest of the tower, consisting of larger and more rounded stones.Although only the ground floor level of the tower survives, several key features remain including the plan form, windows, wall cupboards, the remains of a spiral staircase and the first flight of a straight stair. The staircases would have ascended to the hall above and it is likely that at least a further two floors would have existed beyond this. The remains of a possible squinch arch in the northeast re-entrant angle suggest that there may have been a corbelled stair turret rising in this location.  

The first known record of the tower is from 1543 when Walter Ker of Cessford and his wife Isobel Ker received a charter of confirmation of the lands of the East Mains of Roxburgh 'with the tower and fortalice of the same'. The tower is likely to have been 'towre of Rockesbourgh' razed by the English in 1545. 

The Old Statistical Account (1797) suggests that the tower was abandoned in the early 18th century, stating that older inhabitants of the parish remembered when it was still occupied. The account mentions peoples' remembrances of a 'great porch, highly ornamented by grand Gothic sculpture' perhaps referring to the entrance wing which is now very incomplete. There is also mention of gardens and orchard surrounding the tower. The Account also appears to be the earliest known reference to the name 'Wallace's Tower'. It notes that the attribution may relate to the mention of a tower built by William Wallace at Roxburgh in Blind Harry's epic poem, 'The Wallace' (around 1477), or may have come about because of the popularity of naming such antiquities after Wallace. Although the reference to a tower built by Wallace is poetic license by Blind Harry, it may indicate that there was a tower here in the 15th century. 

A circular ditch enclosing the castle has been identified through aerial photography. Its form is consistent with an earlier medieval earth and timber fortification or an enclosed prehistoric settlement. The tower sits within the enclosure, suggesting that it was a feature when the tower was built. Stratified archaeological deposits containing artefacts and material suitable for radiocarbon dating may survive within the backfill of the ditch the study of which could help us to better understand the chronological relationship between this feature and the tower. Castles and tower houses often remained in use for an extended period of time and were administrative and economic centres as well as the residences of societal elites. They were often expanded or remodelled to accommodate changes in function, technology, architectural style and ownership or in response to destruction through conflict. There is the potential to study the physical characteristics of this castle to better understand its construction and use. Further historical research could provide a better understanding of its decline and abandonment. Archaeological investigation of the areas immediately adjacent to the castle could confirm the suggested date of construction and the existence of any earlier fortification, ancillary buildings and enclosures.

Contextual characteristics (how a site or place relates to its surroundings and/or to our existing knowledge of the past)

The monument is located on a slight rise at the edge of a natural terrace of land 170m west of the Teviot River at approximately 50m above sea level. This area was part of the Middle March, a historic border region of Scotland. 

Tower houses are a widespread but diverse class of monument across Scotland. They became a popular form of elite residence with the Scottish nobility and lairdly class from the later 14th century perhaps influenced by David II building a tower house at Edinburgh Castle (David's Tower, mid-14th century). Tower houses continued to be the chosen architectural form for the residences of Scottish elites throughout the late medieval and early post-medieval periods. Tower houses provided a degree of security but were also a means of displaying wealth, social status and martial knowledge.

The monument can be studied alongside other fortifications in the area to better understand their relationship as well as the castle's role in the development, control and administration of the surrounding landscape. Comparisons can be made between Wallace's Tower and other 16th century towers in the Scottish Borders such as Hillslap Tower (listed building LB15130) and Greenknowe Tower (scheduled monument SM13590), and in particular those held by the Ker family including Ferniehurst Castle (LB13369) and Cessford Castle (SM1710).

Associative characteristics (how a site or place relates to people, events, and/or historic and social movements)

The monument has significant associations with the Kers of Cessford, an historic border family, who were granted a charter of East Mains of Roxburgh along with Wallace's Tower in 1543. The tower is believed to have been burnt by the English army in 1544 or 1545 (New Statistical Account 1845) following Henry VIII's declaration of war to force Scotland to agree to the marriage between his son and heir, Edward, and the infant Mary, Queen of Scots, what would become known as the 'Rough Wooing.'

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland www.trove.scot/place/58434 (accessed on 27/08/2025).

Historic Environment Scotland, Digital Image SC 1938948 https://www.trove.scot/image/1938948 (accessed on 02/09/2025).

Maxwell-Irving, A.M.T. (2014) The Border Towers of Scotland 2: Their Evolution and Architecture. Blairlogie, Stirling.

Old Statistical Account, Roxburgh, County of Roxburgh, Vol. XIX, 1797. (available at https://stataccscot.ed.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/home) (accessed on 22/10/2025).

New Statistical Account, Roxburgh, County of Roxburgh, Vol. III, 1845. (available at https://stataccscot.ed.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/home) (accessed on 22/10/2025).

trove.scot

https://www.trove.scot/place/58434/

HER/SMR Reference

58434

Source: Historic Environment Scotland