Cessford Castle

Nestled in the rolling hills near the village of Cessford, midway between Jedburgh and Kelso, lies the ruined remains of a once-impressive fortress. This is Cessford Castle, a mid-15th century L-plan castle that was once the caput of the Barony of Cessford and the principal stronghold of the notorious Border Reivers.

The castle was built around 1450 by Andrew Ker, an ancestor of the Kers/Kerrs, a powerful family of Border Reivers who served as Wardens of the Middle March. It is possible that the castle incorporates parts of an earlier structure, and it was from this place that the Ker family took their subsidiary titles: Baron Ker of Cessford and Marquess of Bowmont and Cessford.

With walls up to 13 feet thick and a height of up to six storeys, two of which were barrel vaulted, Cessford Castle was a formidable fortress. The main keep was accompanied by a wing of almost the same magnitude, and the angle of the building was enclosed by a single-storey defensive gatehouse. The whole was surrounded by a barmekin and defensive earthworks, making it a challenging target for attackers.

In 1523, the castle was besieged by the Earl of Surrey, who later wrote that “it might never have been taken had the assailed been able to go on defending.” Despite the castle’s impressive defenses, it was eventually abandoned in 1650.

Cessford Castle also played a role in the larger historical events of the time. After Berwick upon Tweed was captured by Richard, Duke of Gloucester in July 1482, Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, burned a number of places in the area, including Cessford. At the end of his campaign, he knighted twenty of his soldiers at the “mains of Sessford.”

Today, the ruins of Cessford Castle stand as a testament to the strength and power of the Border Reivers and the Kers/Kerrs. Despite its current state of ruin, the castle remains an important part of Scotland’s rich cultural heritage and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in history and architecture.