Tolbooth

This 17^th Century Tolbooth was once a gaol and a
meeting place for local people and the magistrate, being also a collection point for customs dues.
It stands on a corner beside the busy main road which runs straight through the village. Its walls are 3 feet thick and there are two windows high up in the gable. There is a clock tower and a stone bearing the part of a date, ‘17’.
In 1874, lightning demolished the weather vane and 12 feet of spire, which were replaced at a cost of £84/​17/​9d. The iron neck ring and chain on the front, known as the Jougs, were last used in 1812 to secure a woman found guilty of stealing, before she was banished from the area!
This Tolbooth has been considerably restored over the years and is in fairly good condition for its age. There is a small free car park immediately to one side, where I parked the other day to get out and have a good look at this fascinating old buidling and take photos.