Shaw Monument
| Shaw Monument | |
|---|---|
The Shaw Monument
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| Location | Prestwick, South Ayrshire |
| Country | Scotland |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | Shaw Tower |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Closed to the public |
| Heritage designation | Category B listed |
| Architect(s) | Unknown |
| Architectural type | Tower |
| Completed | Prior to 1775 |
| Specifications | |
| Height | 50 feet or 20 metres |
| Materials | Mortared rubble masonry |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Monkton & Preswick |
Coordinates: 55°30′06″N 4°35′08″W / 55.50158°N 4.585689°W
The Shaw Monument is an 18th-century folly standing about 1 mile East of Prestwick, overlooking Prestwick Airport in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
The Shaw Monument, sometimes known as 'Shaw Tower', located on rising ground (NS 36778 26122) near the Prestwick Airport Control Tower, was built at some point prior to 1775 by the then laird of Shaw, a keen falconer, in order that he could follow the sport from its top in his old age when he was no longer able to join on horseback. A faint portrait or simulacrum of a man in profile holding a falcon on a panel at the base of the tower may support this theory or may have given rise to it. The tower is a category B listed building.
The low lying 'Lands of Shaw' were clearly visible from the tower given its elevated and prominent location, in addition the 1811 map by Aiton (illustrated in the text) shows that two small lochs were once located nearby and would have been a source for waterfowl for the birds of prey to hunt within sight of the tower.
It has been suggested that Richard Oswald of Auchincruive, who acquired the Prestwickshaws estate in 1764, built the tower for his wife Mary Ramsay who was very keen on fox hunting and that when she became too elderly to ride, the tower allowed her to view the chase in comfort and without undue physical exertion. This story has obvious links with the old laird of Shaw version. The Reverend Kirkwood Hewat in the 1890s recorded that the Estate Factor's opinion was that the tower had been built before the time of the Oswalds ownership of Auchicruive.
The tower is round, around 50 ft or 20m high, and is built of well mortared rubble masonry, typical 18th century follys. The internal spiral staircase is in poor condition. The tower is capped by a 'crown-like' top and originally had a viewing platform. The door was blocked up in the 1930s because of the poor state of the staircase. No door is now present, however the monument is doubly enclosed within railings and a fence.
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