Repentance Tower
Repentance Tower Details
Repentance Tower, small roofed C16 tower of the Maxwells of Hoddom serving as watchtower and not a residence
- Closest To: Annan, Eaglesfield, Ecclefechan, Dalton
- Access: S.O.A.C. Public Access
- Grid Reference: NY155722
The Repentance Tower is a modest rectangular watchtower built for the Maxwell family at the same time as their nearby castle at Hoddom. Built on the top of a hill, it is a prominent landmark, and a footpath leads up to the tower across a steep-sloped field used by livestock. The tower is kept locked, and has been repaired.
The early history of the tower is unclear, and whilst it is the case that a watchtower of “Trailtrow” in the 1570s, this may have been a tower associated with the chapel, destroyed in 1574. It is likely that the tower was built from the ruins of the chapel, and possible that the “Repentance” stone above the doorway was reused. Certainly the Maxwell Lord Herries seems to have indicated that the tower was to be repaired, and given a warning bell and fire pan. After 1603 it appears to have fallen into disuse, and the date of the repairs is unknown.
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