A “Torre de Smailholm” (em inglês: "Smailholm Tower") localiza-se próximo à vila de Smailholm, a Oeste de Kelso, na Área de Concelho de Scottish Borders, na Escócia, Reino Unido.
A toponímia é composta pela palavra “-holm” com o significado de pequena ilha. “Smail” pode referir-se a “Smale”, “Smail”, “Smaile”, “Small”, “Smalles”, “Smalls” e “Smeal”, derivado do inglês antigo de antes do século VII, "Smael", com o significado de "pequeno”, “delgado” ou “fino" e, originalmente, era atribuído a alguém com baixa estatura.
História
Em posição dominante no alto de Lady Hill, um cabeço rochoso, de onde se descortina ampla vista sobre os arredores, esta torre foi construída no final do século XV ou no início do XVI pela família Pringle (primitivamente designada como Hoppringle), vassalos do conde de Douglas. Ela ocupava as terras de Smailholm no início do século XV e administrava parte da floresta de Ettrick para o seu senhor.
Como as demais torres de cascalho escocesas, a de Smailholm foi erguida para proteger os seus ocupantes de eventuais ataques ingleses. Efetivamente foi atacada por forças inglesas em 1543, em 1544 e, uma vez mais, em 1546, quando foi saqueada pela guarnição do Castelo de Wark on Tweed, que fez prisioneiros e se apropriou do gado. Mais tarde, em 1640, a torre foi defendida dos ingleses, com sucesso, por Sir Andrew Ker, de Greenhead.
Smailholm passou às mãos dos Scotts de Harden por volta dessa época, meados do século XVII. Antepassados do escritor e poeta escocês Walter Scott - reconstruíram partes da torre e o pátio.
No século XVIII, a torre entrou em declínio após a mudança da família para a vizinha Sandyknowe.
A torre serviu como fonte de inspiração para Sir Walter Scott que, em menino, aqui visitou o seu avô paterno, tendo ainda aqui passado um tempo considerável na sua juventude, alegadamente para o benefício de sua saúde. Desse modo, Smailholm fornece o cenário para a balada “The Eve of St John”, e também o poema “Marmion - A Tale of Flodden Field” (1808). Como resultado do poema de Scott, o seu tio restaurou a torre, tornando-a segura, por essa época. O pintor inglês Wiiliam Turner visitou Smailholm com Scott nos últimos anos de vida do autor, e o seu esboço da torre foi incluído no "Scott's Poetical Works". A jornada de Turner com Scott rastreou cenas de "Marmion" e, pouco depois disso, o pioneiro da fotografia, Fox Talbot repetiu o itinerário de Turner, publicando o que é considerado o primeiro diário de viagem fotográfico ou livro de mesa de café turístico, "Sun Pictures in Scotland" (1845), em homenagem a ambos, Scott e Turner.
O último proprietário da torre, o conde de Ellesmere, entregou a propriedade aos cuidados do Estado em 1950.
Encontra-se classificada como “Scheduled Ancient Monument”, na categoria "A" do "listed building" desde 16 de março de 1971.
Restaurada na década de 1980, em nossos dias funciona como um museu, sob a gestão do
Historic Environment Scotland.
Em junho de 2007 recebeu a classificação máxima de 5 estrelas como atração turística pela VisitScotland, uma classificação apenas outorgada a oito outros sítios na Escócia.
Atualmente bem-preservada, abriga uma exposição de tapeçaria e de roupas de bonecas ligada ao nome de Sir Walter Scott, autor de "The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border".
Mais recentemente, a torre é o palco do primeiro volume ("In the Keep of Time", 1977) da trilogia de aventuras infanto-juvenil de Margaret J. Anderson, na qual quatro crianças inglesas, que ficam com a sua velha tia Grace, viajam pelo tempo por meio de uma chave mágica, primeiramente para o tempo de Jaime II e, depois, para um futuro após a queda da civilização.
Características
Exemplar de arquitectura militar, do tipo torre de cascalho (“peel tower”), uma das pequenas casas fortificadas ou casas-torre, erguidas ao longo das fronteiras inglesa e escocesa nas Marcas escocesas e no Norte da Inglaterra, destinadas à observação e onde sinais de fogo (fachos) podiam ser acesos pela guarnição para alertar sobre o perigo que se aproximasse.
De relativamente pequenas dimensões, oferecia apenas cerca de 200 m² de espaço, depois ampliado pela construção de uma casa de entrada e de uma segunda cozinha no interior do pátio (“barmkin”).
Apresenta planta rectangular, com aproximadamente 12,1 m por 9,4 m, erguida em basalto, com paredes de 2,4 m de espessura.
Internamente divide-se em quatro pavimentos: o porão, abobadado, era originalmente dividido em dois pavimentos por um “mezzanino” de madeira acedido por uma escada. A porta rasga-se no lado Sul, encimada por um grande arco de arenito vermelho, com a escada em caracol no vértice Sudeste. Acima do porão encontra-se o salão, com uma lareira no lado Norte encimada por um rosto humano esculpido.
O piso superior caracteriza-se por uma incomum abóbada elíptica de pedra que suporta um telhado também em pedra. Os adarves correm ao longo dos lados maiores (Norte e Sul), embora ambos sejam interrompidos - o Norte por uma chaminé e o Sul por uma janela. Estas partes superiores da torre, incluindo uma seteira nas ameias do lado Oeste que cobrem o pátio, foram remodeladas no século XVII.
A torre está cercada pelos restos de uma muralha de pedra, no interior das quais são visíveis as ruínas de algumas dependências e de uma pequena capela. No lado Leste do pátio situava-se um pequeno jardim, que não mais existe. O lado Oeste do pátio está melhor conservado, com paredes até ao primeiro pavimento em torno da estreita entrada na parede oeste. O pátio, de cerca de 16 m por 19 m, contém os alicerces de um salão de um pavimento do século XVII ao Norte e de uma cozinha de dois compartimentos ao Sul.
Um fosso protegia a aproximação pelo lado Oeste da torre, sendo os outros três lados naturalmente protegidos pela natureza do afloramento. Cem metros para o Sudeste, mais escavações indicaram a presença de um assentamento muito antigo, provavelmente datado do primeiro milénio a.C.
A partir de 2006 foram realizadas experiências no telhado para se estabelecer o método de impermeabilização mais apropriado para se aplicar a outras propriedades, incluindo o plantio de relva ou esteiras de plantas Sedum. Como resultado, um projeto de restauração em 2010-2011 instalou um telhado de relva em toda a estrutura.
Updated at 02/01/2021 by the tutor Carlos Luís M. C. da Cruz.
Contributions with medias: Carlos Luís M. C. da Cruz (1).
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Fortification Visualization |
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• On fortification’s view page there are fortification name, its location (City, State, Country, Continent) and all other available data about it.
• First, you will see a window with a main text that contains the fortification’s history and other information about its project and construction, its buildings, works and other interventions all over the years, information about armaments and troops, interventions of archaeology, information about legal protection, relevant historical facts associated to this fortification and other information you think it is important. • Below text window, there is the Medias box: Interactive Map, Videos, Images, panoramics and CAD Designs. Click on border of the Media you want to view available content miniatures. Below, in this Help text, you can read about navigating between every different medias. Click on miniature to view it full size. This media is viewed at the same window that previously had the main text. Medias Box – Interactive Map: o An Interactive Map shows the fortification’s localization visualized by a satellite image. It is not a static picture but a dynamic one, which works with a Google MAP technology. You can go next and go back through the map with it, zoom in and zoom out, and view satellite pictures. o Click on correspondent border in medias box and on the link “Click here to view the Interactive Map of this fortification’s localization". o The Interactive Map shows viewed fortification’s geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). There are three navigation ways: Map, Satellite and Hybrid. Use navigation commands to navigate through the map, moving to any direction you want. Still, you are able to move through the map by dragging cursor with left mouse button, always pressing it. o Click on “Return to text” option to close the map and go back to main fortification text. Medias Box – Vídeos: o To open videos, click on the correspondent border in medias box in order to load the miniatures with available files about this fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all available videos. o Click on video miniatures you want in order to load available information about it – they are showed at the same window which previously had the main text. o At the view window there are: video title, your identification number (ID), a description about its content, video credits, date of realization and user name who registered the file – can be fortification’s tutor or other contributor user (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access available information about this user. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (Kb). Click on frame icon to open and watch it. o On the base of the visualization’s window, you can access other available videos with Previous and Next commands. Between the two commands there are the total of available videos and the number of the video that you are watching. o Click on “Return to text” option in order to close the visualization window of videos and to go back to fortification main text. • Medias Box - Images: o To open Images (pictures, old iconographies: plans and maps), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Miniature images are the first to appear available in medias box when you access fortification page at the first time. Click on a miniature to visualize it bigger. The bigger image is visualized on the same window that was occupied by the main text. o When accessing images, first you will see only four miniatures, and beside, there is the number of available images about the fortification. o Click on Show All link to view the total of miniatures. o Use horizontal roll bar to show all available images and click on the miniature you want to load with its available information. o Click on Search link (Images border or miniatures box) to open a selective consult images form . o On Search Form for images it is possible to search for the identification number (ID); image classification category; key-word of image description; any word which is in image credits; the year of image realization, in this case, with the option of searching for a specific date or looking for images from before or after a specific date. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Click on image, on visualization area, to open the original file on other window of your Web Browser, usually it is in a bigger size, with a better visualization. You can get the same result by clicking on " See image at original size" link. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the image that is being showed at the moment. o Click "Auto" to select this item option, going next automatically to an image from other. o Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, with which the register Tutor can go straight to edition area in order to change registered data. o On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where you can print the page content that you are viewing. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box - Panoramic: o To open Panoramic (photographic panorama in 360 degrees), click on corresponding border in medias box, in order to load miniatures of available files about the fortification. Use horizontal roll bar to show all Panoramic available. o Click on panoramic miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are not only the image but: its title, its classification category, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, its realization date and credits, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). o Click on this frame to open it and see the panoramic. o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available images. Between the two commands there are the total of available images and the number of the panoramic that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Medias Box – CAD Design: o To open CAD Design (DWG format of CAD file, as graphic survey registers, restoration projects etc), click on correspondent border in medias box, in order to load miniatures with available files about a fortification viewed. Use the horizontal roll bar to show all available CAD files. o Click on miniature wanted to load its available information which are at the same window previously busy by the main text. o On visualization window, there are: CAD Design title, its identification number (ID), a description about its content, design’s author credits, realization date, name of the user who registered it (publisher), can be fortification tutor or other contributor (see below information about “Contributions” item). Click on contributor’s name to access his available information. o Beside these information, there is a frame icon with the file size (KB). Click on frame icon to open and view the design (you must have Autocad installed in your computer or other software of DWG file visualization). o Below visualization window, Previous and Next commands allow to access other available designs. Between the two commands there are the total of available designs and the design number that is being showed at the moment. o Click on “Return to text” option and close the visualization window to go back to main text. • Below medias box, there are many inquiries with parameterized data about this fortification: Recent name, Other denominations, Type, Year of beginning etc. Parameterized data are those with which is possible to do researches on fortifications Search page. Researches can be done with each inquiry individually or by a combination of inquiries. • In “Project Author” and “Began in the governor of” is available a link to access the historical Character data listed there, forwarding to a section of fortalezas.org Website Characters. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below parameterized data box there is an entitle box: Related Characters, where there are listed the name and the nationality (with an image) of historical characters related to the viewed fortification. Click on a name to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Characters box there is an entitled box: Related Bibliographies, where there are listed title, author and type (with an image) of those bibliographies related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its informations, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Bibliographies page. After this, use “Back” Navigator command and return to fortification visualization page. • Below related Bibliographies box there is an entitled box: Related Links, where there are listed title, synopsis and websites (Links) internet address (URL) that are related to the viewed fortification. Click on link’s title or address forwarding to its website, that will be open in a new window. • Below Link box there is an entitled box: Related texts, where there are listed title, author and text summary posted in Forum section and which are related to the viewed fortification. Click on title to view its information, forwarding to fortalezas.org Website Characters page. After this, use “Back” command and return to fortification visualization page. • On top and base of page, the system informs the total results (registers), between parenthesis, and the number of the register that is being viewed. • On top and base of page, there are also available the commands to go Next and to go Back, from a text to other, between the results (registers) found in the previous search. • On top and base of page, it is available the “Listing” link to go back to the page with the other results (registers) found in the last research. • Below related texts box, there is a “Contributions” table, where there is Item Tutor’s name, who is responsible for fortification register. Below its name, there are listed other users name that contributed to tutor in edition, revision or adding information about this fortification. • Beside Tutor name you can see the date of the last update of fortification’s data. Beside Contributor name is the date when he last contributed. • Below “Medias” sub item there are listed users that contributed to Tutor, adding a media to this fortification: image, video, panoramic or CAD Design. Beside user name, the number between parentheses informs the quantity of media files added by this user. • Click on Tutor name or those names which are contributors in order to view their available information. • Only for the users who are connected to fortalezas.org Website (logged in the restrict edition area), it is available an Edition option, which the register Tutor can change registered contents, and others users can contribute with an additional information about this fortification. • On top of page, the print icon opens a new window of your Web Browser, where it can be print all fortification content that you are viewing. In this print will be listed medias data without their images. To print it, see below, Medias Box – Images item. |