Overview of Stapleton Tower

A roofless but well-preserved squat tower house, Stapleton Tower lies 2 miles (3 km) north northwest of Eastriggs in Annandale. The four-storey rectangular tower was built in the Mid or Late 16th century for Edward Irving of Bonshaw. It was modernised and extended to the east in the 19th century with the addition of a large Gothic mansion. This served as a evacuation centre for boys and then children's home, run by Barnardos, from 1941-48. In the 1950s most of the house was demolished, leaving the tower and a modest red sandstone ashlar laundry block standing separately. The single-storey lodge and gates also survive at the entrance to the drive.