Crawford Priory, Cupar, March 2008.

[dittohead]

Dittohead looks like an unruly youth though, so he prob would've got chased away

The cheek of it!

 

[escortmad79]

Might have to add that on the to do list!

 

[RichardB]

I have a date in mind, fairly soon.

I'd be happy to have company but I don't have a PM facility yet. I'll keep on posting and if I haven't broken through the barrier by the end of the week I'll post an email address.

While I'm there I'll keep my eyes peeled for a lens cap, a battery and a testicle.

 

[spacepunk]

I'm thinking of going back for another visit soon mate to retrieve my battery ( I can live with one testicle), so will be in touch.:yes:

 

[RichardB]

Woohoo! I'm a regular member! I have PM facility now.

 

[Duart]

Crawford Priory - Visit

Hey Guys, I am a new memebr her, and would love to visit some of the place with members, I am a pro photographer by trade and would be happy to take pics, but mainly would like to meet members in the North East of Scotland, I am in Aberdeen. let me know cheers.as I am sure you

 

[RichardB]

Big shame. Also RichardB, i'm only maybe 10 mins away from here, 5 if I put the right CD on Let me know if you're up to anything interesting and i'll try to do the same.

Spot the difference, other than the condition.

I went on a reconnaissance mission recently in preparation for a proper explore. It's not for the faint hearted! I fought my way through the brambles and stuck my head in the window and I can see why you would choose not to go in.

 

[spacepunk]

Did you find my battery?

 

[RichardB]

I only went up to the window and back out but I did look. I thought I'd spotted it but it was a green cartridge case.

 

[Bryag]

"Big Girls Blouses" that is all I can say! "Big. Girls. Blouses."

For a full internal photgraphic report look no futher than here http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=4759&highlight=crawford

Bryag and Zimbob.....inside Crawford Priory......So you don't have to be


Seriously, this is not a safe place to explore. Do not go alone. They may nevery find your corpse

 

[lost]

Is it that bad? I've always found shells of buildings pretty safe to explore. At least you can see how bad they are.

 

[Bryag]

Is it that bad? I've always found shells of buildings pretty safe to explore. At least you can see how bad they are.

It is quite bad, but as long as you are sensible, and do not stay in th e same place for too long you should be OK. The problem is much of the masonry is ready to collapse, and should you stumble and lean on the wrong part, you may just end up with everything that was above you, on top of you.

That being said, I would go again. It is "dodgy" but not necessarily life threatening (if you are sensible), but I was serious when I said it is not a solo venture, as there are quite a few areas which are very insecure, and if some of those blocks fell. you would have no hope without support.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but putrified, rotting corpses (and a rather fine DSLR!)

 

[RichardB]

The trouble is that most of what was once ceilings, roof, floors, wall coverings etc. is now piled on the ground floor, at least in the room I looked into.

I'm going to try and get in touch with the friendly local historian and see if he can tell me a bit more of the history. He's published a [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Cupar-Paula-Martin/dp/1840330368/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224015930&sr=8-2"]book[/ame] and I think there's a picture of CP in it.

 

[Bryag]

See below

 

[Bryag]

The trouble is that most of what was once ceilings, roof, floors, wall coverings etc. is now piled on the ground floor, at least in the room I looked into.

I'm going to try and get in touch with the friendly local historian and see if he can tell me a bit more of the history. He's published a book and I think there's a picture of CP in it.

I refer you to my previous statement!

 

[escortmad79]

The trouble is that most of what was once ceilings, roof, floors, wall coverings etc. is now piled on the ground floor, at least in the room I looked into.

I'm going to try and get in touch with the friendly local historian and see if he can tell me a bit more of the history. He's published a book and I think there's a picture of CP in it.

Picked up a fascinating book in a charity shop in Edinburgh on Saturday entitled Scotland's Endangered Houses by Marcus Dean & Mary Miers.
The book dates from 1990, is now discontinued, there are none on ebay & the only other copies I can find are on Amazon UK (£50 used) & Amazon USA (2 copies @ £105 each!)
I paid a lot less than any of those prices!

Inside the book are some pictures of Crawford as it was inside, as it was in 1970 when it still hadd all the glass, the roof was still on & there was a greenhouse along from the entrance hall & as it was in 1989 with boarded up windows downstairs & the majority of the roof appearing to still be in place.

It was built on the Southern bank of the River Eden to replace Crawford Lodge, a Palladian Villa of 1758.
Crawford Priory despite it's name has no connection with the church, it was built by Lady Mary Lindsay Crawford, woman who never married, was largely eccentric & lived with a menagerie of animals including birds, dogs, a tame fox & an ancient deer!
The priory was designed by architect David Hamilton who designed the earlier part of the house in 1809. Two years later James Gillespie Graham was employed to aggrandize the building which he did with the addition of the castellated block.

In 1869 the Priory was inherited by the 6th Earl of Glasgow in need of complete renovation.
He doubled the accomodation & constructed a tall gothic tower (Demolished in the 1970s due to its dangerous condition).
William Little designed a large private Episcopal chapel on the first floor adjacent to the tower.
With the death of the 2nd Baron Cochrane of Cults in 1968 the building again required restoration but instead it was abandoned.
At the time the book was written, the son of the 2nd Baron Cochrane of Cults lived nearby but had no plans for Crawford Priory.

 

[foz101]

Inside the book are some pictures of Crawford as it was inside, as it was in 1970 when it still hadd all the glass,

Scan scan scan scan!

I also heard it had become redundant because of the prohibitively high cost of fuelling the place as it was all coal fired and got through some ungodly amount of coal per year. I'll try to confirm.

 

[escortmad79]

Haven't got a scanner

 

[foz101]

Awww man! Give it to me, I'll scan it!

 

[escortmad79]

Not the greatest quality as it's a photograph taken by camera phone of the pics in the book but you get the general gist

Outside view:

Gorgeous ceiling detail

THAT staircase: