Milholme (The Gatehouse Record of the Aglionby Platt)

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Milburne; Bowholm

In the civil parish of Castleton.
In the historic county of Roxburghshire, Scotland.
Modern Authority of Scottish Borders, Scotland.
1974 county of Borders, Scotland.

OS Map Grid Reference: NY51309495
Latitude 55.24637° Longitude -2.76752°

The given map reference is suggested as the probable location of Milholme shown on the Aglionby Platt.

There are no visible remains.

The likely form(s) of this building in 1590 are;

Pele House ('bastle').

Reproduced by permission of the National Library of Scotland

Description

(NY 5130 9495) Baholm Tower (NR) (Site of) (OS 6" map (1957))
This spot was indicated by two local informants as the site of Baholm Tower, which belonged to the Elliots. (Name Book 1858)
The published site falls on the edge of a S-facing scarp within a dense copse. Nothing significant was found during perambulation of the surrounding area.
Neither the name nor the tradition of a tower here could be confirmed locally. Dr Robson (curator Hawick Museum) confirms the approximate location, but his researches indicate that it was a vaulted house rather than a strong tower, and that its original and probably more correct name is "Bowholm".
Visited by OS (JRL) 19 July 1979 (Canmore)

Comments

Although the fortified house marked on the 1590 map as 'Milhome' is depicted on the other side of Hermitage Water this pele-house may well be the site meant. The 1590 plan seems to have been made by someone with only passing understanding of the geography and possibly working from second hand accounts.
It would be nice to know what Dr Robson's researches were based upon but a pele-house of some form - possibly vaulted is a reasonably supposition by analogue to other late C16 houses of this sort of social status (in this case a sub-gentry cadet member of the Elliot family)

Sources of information, references and further reading

Canmore (The online National Monument Record for Scotland) Number 68015.

Books
- Coventry, M., 2008, Castles of the Clans: the strongholds and seats of 750 Scottish families and clans (Musselburgh) p. 181
  RCAHMS, 1956, An inventory of the ancient and historical monuments of Roxburghshire (Edinburgh: The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland) Vol. 1 p. 89 no. 94 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Ellis, H., 1829, 'Copy of a manuscript tract addressed to Lord Burghley, illustrative of the Border topography of Scotland, AD 1590, with a platt or map of the Borders taken in the same year' Archaeologia Vol. 22 p. 161-71 online copy
Maps (Early maps)
- 1590, A Platt of the opposete Borders of Scotland to ye west marches of England (The Aglionby Platt) British Library online Gallery and Old Cumbria Gazetteer
Other sources: Theses; 'grey' literature; in-house reports; unpublished works; etc.
- Ordnance Survey (Name Book), Object Name Books of the Ordnance Survey (6 inch and 1/2500 scale) Roxburghshire Book No. 6 p. 77 (Held at RCAHMS on micro fiche)

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

The possible site or monument is represented on maps as a point location. This is a guide only. It should be noted that OS grid references defines an area, not a point location. In practice this means the actual center of the site or monument may often, but not always, be to the North East of the point shown. Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.

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The Gatehouse website record of

Milholme (Baholm Tower)

a location shown on a 1590 map of the West Marches of Scotland (The Aglionby Platt)