Fordell CastleThe name was variously written Fordell, Fordel, Fordale, and Fordal. is a restored 16th-century tower house, located north-west of Dalgety Bay and east of Dunfermline, in Fife, Scotland. Parts of the castle date from before 1566, though most dates from 1580 or later. The chapel was rebuilt in 1650. The interior of the castle was substantially renovated in the 1960s, with additional major renovations to the castle interiors and chapel in the early 2000s. The estate is in private ownership and not available for public tour.
Architecture
The castle is a fortified house (fortalice) designed on a Z-plan running east–west, with square towers at the north-west and south-east corners, each containing a circular staircase.MacGibbon, D. and Ross, T. (1887) "The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century Vol. 2" pp. title page, 237–243.Tranter, Nigel (1986) "The Fortified House in Scotland – Volume 2, Central Scotland" p. 38–39. "Externally, Fordell remains pretty much as it was when first built, a simply treated, dignified dwelling, on which corbelled turetts and projections, happily grouped, relieve the plane wall-surfaces below."Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments & Constructions of Scotland (1933) "Eleventh Report with Inventory of Monuments and Constructions in the Counties of Fife, Kinross, and Clackmannan" p. 96–97. Fordell Castle is the only example of a tower house with two main stairs, each with its own door to the outside.Gifford, John (1992) "Buildings of Scotland: Fife" p. 227.Inglis, Janet (2011) "Scotland's Castles: Rescued, Rebuilt and Reoccupied, 1945–2010" p. 192 (citing Astaire, Leslie et al. (1997) "Living in Scotland" p. 110). The entrance is at the foot of the north stair tower and is through a studded door with a metal grate (yett) behind. It gives access to a vestibule. Stairs lead down to three vaulted basement chambers. The western chamber included stocks and branks, but the room has since been converted to a wine cellar. A rogue's collar or jougs hangs near the front entrance to the castle.
The first floor contains the Great Hall to the west; the great stone fireplace has a cast iron grate and stone surround. A "witch stone" carving above the entrance to the Great Hall is said to depict the daughter of James Henderson, 3rd of Fordell,Ross, Rev. W. (1885) "Aberdour and Inchcolme: Being Historical Notices of the Parish and Monastery" pp. 339–340 Margaret Echlin (née Henderson) of Pittadro, who was accused of witchcraft and imprisoned in 1649. Prior to being tried, she was found dead, apparently from poison.Ross, Rev. W. (1885) "Aberdour and Inchcolme: Being Historical Notices of the Parish and Monastery" pp. 339–341; Lamont, John (pub. 1830) "The Diary of Mr. John Lamont of Newton. 1649–1671" at 12; Stodart, Robert Riddle (1881) "Scottish Arms, Being a Collection of Armorial Bearings. Vol. 2" p. 417; O'Leary, Rev. E. (1902) " John Lye, of Clonaugh, Co. Kildare" in "Journal of the County Kildare Archaeological Society, Vol. III" pp. 40–41 (quoting Balfour, Sir James, "Annals of Scotland"); Beveridge, D. (1888) " Between the Ochils and Forth" p. 50
There is a smaller withdrawing room to the east of the Great Room. The paneled ceiling has star and half moon mouldings, reflecting motifs in the Henderson coat of arms. Reclaimed timber from Edinburgh Castle and reclaimed Italian Carrera tiles floors were added in recent renovations.
At gallery level is the main private apartment, which has a paneled ceiling with star and half moon moulding. Off this room is a modern bathroom. Also at this level is the Laird's Study, with a stone fireplace and access to the second spiral stair. Above the main stair head is a chamber known as Queen Mary's Room; it is vaulted and paneled, and has a stone fireplace.
A small area of flat roof is castellated, and has a flagpole and wrought-iron beacon basket.MacGibbon, D. and Ross, T. (1887) "The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland from the Twelfth to the Eighteenth Century Vol. 1" p.330. The lintel of the door in the north tower is inscribed I.H (for James Henderson) 25 MCH (March) A.D. 1580. Higher is built in a broken lintel, also inscribed I.H. with I.M. for Henderson's wife, Jean Murray of Tullibardine, dated 1580. There is a heraldic panel above with the arms of Henderson and Murray dated 1567, inscribed with the Henderson motto 'Sola Vertus Nobilitat'.
Considered one of the finest details of the castle is the lead gargoyle at the eaves, seen in the north-east view. It "represents a winged four-footed monster, with open mouth and defiant attitude, designed and executed with great spirit."
History The earliest charter in the Henderson of Fordell papers dates from 1217, when Richard, son of Hugh de Camera, with consent of his wife and son, (also) Richard, grants small parts of the lands of Fordell to the Abbey of Inchcolm.Easson, D.E. (1938) "Charters of the Abbey of Inchcolm" pp. 10, 117.Ross (1885) pp. 125–127; Beam, A. et al. "Document 3/120/1 (Inchcolm, no. 12)"; Richard, Son of Hugh de Camera, "Charter" (1217) NRS GD172/1, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell (GD172); "Person Record: Richard, Son of Hugh de Camera" PoMS no. 887, Retrieved 10 Oct 2019.
By 1240, William de Hercht held the lands of Fordell.Easson (1938) pp. 17, 130; Notarized transcript (1240) NRS GD172/2, Papers of the Henderson Family of Fordell (GD172). Sir William de Erth was the Lord of Fordell in 1428.Easson (1938) pp. xxxi, 54, 175. The Fordell lands were divided into fractional portions following William de Erth's death.See Armstrong, W.B. (1893) "The Bruces of Airth and Their Cadets" pp, 7, 9. John Henrisoun was serving as sergeant of Fordell by 1465.See Paul, J. B. ed. (1882) "RMS ii 1818" "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: 1424–1513" p. 386 ("Joh. Henrisoun de Fordale serjando dicte baronie" witnesses 1465 marriage contract involving Willelmo Scot and Cristiane de Erth, including fractional part ownership of Fordale. It is not known when the original castle structure was constructed, but the main entrance tower is believed to date from the 1400s.
In 1510–1512, James (M. Jacobo) Henrysoun (Henderson),See Chalmers, George, (1824) "Preface" to Robene and Makyne p. x n.12 ("In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the name was variously written, Henrison, Henrisoun, Henryson, Hendrison, and Henderson, which last became the established form"). burgess of Edinburgh, and his wife, Elene (née Baty), redeemed from mortgage his inherited fractional portion of the Fordell estate and purchased fractional parts of the lands of Fordell (Fordalis) from at least five others.Charter (1510) NRS GD172/9/1; Charter (1511) NRS GD172/11/1; Charter (1511) NRS GD172/12/1; Charter (1511) NRS GD172/14/1; Assignation (1511) NRS GD172/16; Laing, David (1865) "The Poems and Fables of Robert Henryson" at xliv–xlvi (purchases from Alexander Drummond of Ardmore; Elizabeth Erth, Lady of Plane; James Levingstone de Manerstoun; Cristina Hepburn; Alexander Elphingston; and Marjory Hepburn); Armstrong (1893) p. 8. The land was consolidated into a barony granted by King James IV in 1511.Charter under Great Seal (1511) NRS GD172/17; Paul, J. B. ed. (1882) "RMS ii 3570" "Register of the Great Seal of Scotland: 1424–1513" p. 768; "Fordell" Fife Place Names, retrieved 2017-11-22 (interpreting Latin RMS 3570).
In the mid-16th century, Mary, Queen of Scots, is said to have stayed here when Marion Scott, one of her ladies-in-waiting, married George Henderson, the laird.MacGibbon (1887) vol. 2, p.242; Astaire (1997) p. 114; see Buckner, J.C.R. (1881) Rambles In and Around Aberdour and Burntisland p. 48 a small room, named "Queen Marie's Boudoir" is said to have been fitted with an altar for her use during her stay.Marilyn Brown, Scotland's Lost Gardens (Edinburgh, 2015), p. 103. (Marion Scott employed William Rae as gardener in June 1565. He was to look after the yards or gardens and grow peas and beans, and plant trees, and not work for anyone else. For this, Rae had gardener's house with two acres of land and grazing for two cows, just like the previous gardener, David Anderson.)
James Henderson, 3rd of Fordell, started to extend the castle in 1566.See Laing (1865) p. xli; Gifford (1992) p. 226. The masons Robert Peris, James Orrok, and others had made good progress building a "house of great quantity" when they were stopped on 5 June 1567 by William Spittal of Luquhat, who claimed a title to the lands of Fordell.Calendar of Laing Charters (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 208 no. 825 In 1568 the castle was damaged by fire, then rebuilt."Diary of Robert Birrel" p. 16 in Dalyell, John Graham (1798) "Fragments of Scotish History" ("The 3 day of Junii , being Thursday, James Hendersone of Fordell has hes place of Fordell brunt by ane suddaine fyre, both the old worke and the new."); Laing (1865) p. xli; Beveridge (1888) p. 49; Gifford (1992) p. 226. Evidence of the fire can be seen to the left of the main entrance tower.
During the late 16th century, the Hendersons began working the estate's rich coal seams that came to form the basis of the estate economy.Holman, Bob (1952) "Behind the Diamond Panes"; see Letters of horning (1628) NRS GD172/284. Sir John Henderson rebuilt St Theriot's Chapel in 1650 for use as a family mausoleum.MacGibbon (1887) vol. 2, p. 242; Suntrup (2008) p. 106–107. The castle was damaged by Oliver Cromwell's army troops garrisoned at the castle in 1651.See, generally, Battle of Inverkeithing; Simpkins, John Ewart (1914) "County Folk-Lore, vol. VII" p. 45 (local lore following Cromwell's soldiers 1651 quartering at Fordell Mill), citing Buckner, J.C.R. (1881)). The Hendersons became baronets in 1694 during the reign of Charles II.
In the 19th century, the family built a large, new mansion – Fordell House – nearby."Fordell House" canmore.org.uk retrieved 2017-11-26 (photos). Fordell House was demolished in the 20th century, and there is now little visible evidence of its existence.Simpson, Eric (1999) "Dalgety Bay: Heritage and Hidden History" p. 74. During the same period, Fordell Castle was rarely occupied; the main hall is said to have been converted into a stable for a time.Laing (1865) p. xlii (interiors restored, the main hall having previously been turned into a stable); Beveridge (1888) p. 50 (castle unoccupied; open to the public weekly) George Mercer-Henderson modernized the castle and installed the gates. The north front was rebuilt in 1855 (designed by Robert Hay).Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Hay
In 1953, John Hampden Mercer-Henderson, 8th Earl of Buckinghamshire, divided the nearly estate, selling the land to the west of Fordel Burn.Simpson (1999) p. 77-78.Malzahn, Renee Henderson (Winter 2006) "A Beautiful Journey" An Canach pp. 20–21. The walled garden at Pittadro was sold for use as a commercial nursery.See "Fordell Castle " Parksandgardens.org (accessed 8 Oct 2019).
Fordell was acquired in 1961 by the controversial lawyer and Conservative politician Sir Nicholas Fairbairn (1933–1995). The castle was restored and used as a private residence by Sir Nicholas and his wife Lady Sam Fairbairn.Inglis (2011) pp. 191–193 (citing Fairbairn, Nicholas (1987) "A Life is Too Short" pp. 164–167). Following his death in 1995, Nicholas Fairbairn was laid to rest in the crypt below the Chapel of St Theriot on the castle grounds.