Castles in and Around Glasgow

Transcription

1 Castles in and Around Glasgow Crookston Castle Crookston Castle is surrounded by a defensive ring-ditch that dates back to the 12th century when Sir Robert de Croc, who also gave his name to the village of Crookston, built a timber and earth castle. Remains of a chapel founded by de Croc in 1180 have been uncovered. Evidence of an even earlier fortification on the same site has also been found. The lands of Crookston were bought by Sir Alan Stewart in 1330, and passed to Sir John Stewart, 1st Lord Darnley, in The Darnley Stewarts replaced the early castle with the present stone structure around In 1489 the Stewart Earl of Lennox rebelled against James IV. James responded by bringing the cannon Mons Meg from Edinburgh, and bombarding the castle, virtually destroying its western end, and ensuring a quick surrender. In 1544 the castle was besieged and taken by the Earl of Arran and Cardinal Beaton, while the then Earl of Lennox was defending Glasgow Castle. Most famous of the Darnley Stewarts was Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, who was second husband to Mary, Queen of Scots. It may have been at Crookston that the couple were betrothed, under a yew tree. The yew was felled in 1816, and a model of Crookston Castle, now on display in Pollok House, was carved from its wood. In 1572, Crookston was granted to another Stewart, Charles, the Earl of Lennox. The castle passed through several owners, until in 1757 it was sold by William Graham, 2nd Duke of Montrose to the Maxwells of Pollok. Following several years of abandonment, the castle was partially restored by the Maxwells in 1847, to honour Queen Victoria's visit to Glasgow. In 1931, Crookston became the first property acquired by the National Trust for

2 Scotland, having been presented by Sir John Maxwell Stirling-Maxwell, who was one of the Trust's founder members and first Vice Presidents. Today, Crookston Castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, and a Category A listed building. Its maintenance is the responsibility of Historic Scotland. It is open to the public. Source: Wikipedia References: Coventry, Martin The Castles of Scotland (3rd Edition), Goblinshead, 2001 Lindsay, Maurice The Castles of Scotland, Constable & Co Mason, Gordon The Castles of Glasgow and the Clyde, Goblinshead, 2000 Salter, Mike The Castles of South West Scotland, Folly Publications, 1993 Historic Scotland Listed Building Report National Monuments Record of Scotland Site Reference NS56SW 4 Cathcart Castle: 1400 s Built by the Cathcart family and later inhabited by the Semple family and the 1 st Earl of Cathcart. During the time of Wallace and Bruce an earlier structure was occupied by Alan de Cathcart who was a staunch supporter of those legendary Scottish heroes. The castle was located close to the White Cart water in what is now the Linn Park. It was demolished in 1980.

3 Haggs Castle: 1500 s Built by Sir John Maxwell the 12 th and was home to generations of the Maxwell family. After the 1680s it was used as a dower house, for the ladies of the family but in the mid 18th century the family moved to Pollok House. The castle was abandoned. By the 1840s it was in ruins and the ground floor was in use as the smithy for the local colliery. By 1860 it was restored in a Victorian Baronial style and became the house and offices for the the Estate Factor. It was requisitioned by the army in 1943 and in the late 1940s the Maxwell Trustees converted it into flats. In 1972 it was bought by Glasgow Corporation, substantially reconditioned and used as a children's museum until Haggs Road Pollokshields. Still exists today as a private residence. Mearns Castle: 1440 s Built by Lord Herbert Maxwell on the site of a previous wooden structure built by Roland de Mearns.

4 In the 1970 s the Maxwell Church in Pollok Street Glasgow had to find a new site due to the construction of the Kingston bridge, and land became available adjoining the Mearns Castle. Services were held in the castle s main barrel vaulted hall during construction of the new church. The barrel vaulted hall has what appears to be a minstrel gallery on the East wall. The castle still exists today, and adjoins the Maxwell Mearns Parish Church located behind the Mearns High School. It is in a delapidated state and is not open to the public. Partick Castle: 1600 s Built by George Hutcheson who was one of the brothers who founded Hutcheson s hospital and Hutcheson s Grammer School on the west bank of the river Kelvin near to where it joins the Clyde in a line of sight to the old Govan Parish Church and would have been near to a ford in the river Clyde. It existed until the early 1800 s. It is thought that there may have been a7 th Century Castle or Hunting Lodge on the site. Pollok Castle: 1100 s

5 Originally built as a Keep s Keep demolished and the Castle was built by Sir Robert Pollok. Rebuilt in the 1880 s to replace that destroyed by fire. The castle was requisitioned by the British army in 1939, but one wing of the house was occupied by the Pollock family throughout the war. The estate was apparently used as an ammunition dump throughout this period, and continued to be inhabited until 1944, when Miss Ferguson Pollock moved out and it was finally abandoned. In the 1950 s the castle was demolished and the land was sold off. Today a large private residence occupies the site at Pollok Castle Estate off Aurs Road between Barrhead and Newton Mearns. Bishops Castle: 1100 s It is thought that the first fortifications were constructed on the site near to Glasgow Cathedral in the 1100 s Later extended & used as the residence for the Bishops of Glasgow including Bishop John Cameron, Archbishop James Beaton and Archbishop Gavin Dunbar, and was occupied up to the Reformation in the mid 1500 s and later fell into disrepair. The ruins were demolished in the 1790 s to make way for the building of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Castle Street takes its name from it.

6 Bardowie Castle: 1500 s A stronghold of the Galbraiths and later the Hamiltons of Bardowie. It later passed to the Buchanan family and was owned by a Buchanan until the late 1900 s. Built on the North shore of Bardowie Loch near Milngavie on the North side of the Clyde. Today the castle still exists as a private dwelling. Bothwell Castle: 1200 s It is built on a steep bank above the River Clyde, between Uddingston and Bothwell. Construction began in the 13the century by the ancestors of Clan Murray. It is now a large rectangular ruin, with a large circular Donjon (central tower) at the west end and the Great Hall to the east side of the rectangular central courtyard. After Robert the Bruce's victory at Bannockburn in 1314, the castle provided shelter for several English nobles. The castle was surrendered to the Scots who destroyed it. In 1336 the

7 English returned again, under Edward III who had the castle repaired, and again made it his headquarters in Scotland. The following year, Sir Andrew Murray, the rightful owner of the castle recaptured it once more. He partly demolished it and so it could not be reoccupied by the enemy. The castle remained derelict until the 1360s when it was rebuilt by the Douglas family. The Great Hall was added in the 15th century. The castle was finally abandoned in the 18th century. Today it is managed by Historic Scotland and is open to the public. Stanely Castle: 1500 s Built by the Maxwells, then in 1629 was sold to Lady Ross of Hawkhead. It then passed by marriage to the Boyle family in the middle of the 18th century. David Boyle had been made the first Earl of Glasgow in 1703 and the family's main estate was centred around Kelburn Castle at Largs. By the 19th century the family found themselves in serious debt and Stanely Castle was abandoned and fell into ruin. In 1837 the marshland surrounding the castle was flooded to create the Stanely Reservoir, which supplied the people of Paisley and its surrounding areas with fresh water. Over the years, the reservoir level was raised. It now submerges the lower portion of the four storey castle.

8 Johnston Castle: 1500 s Built by the Houstouns of Milliken. It was originally known as the house of Easter Cochrane, but was renamed Johnstone Castle when George Houston took over the estate in Building on the site began c when Sir Loudovic Houstoun moved from the estate of Houston to the Lands of Johnstone, and in both 1771 and 1812 the castle was considerably extended, but much was demolished in Over time, the surrounding town expanded, and estate lands were gradually sold off. The last laird to stay in Johnstone Castle was George Ludovic Houstoun who retired to Cyprus, where he died on 3rd September Lady May, widow of Sir Edward May was the last private owner of the castle. The original structure was substantially enlarged in 1771 and 1812 by George Houstoun, who had the structure remodelled in a castellated style complete with a turret at the left hand of the front elevation, The composer Frederic Chopin stayed here in 1894 prior to giving a concert in Glasgow. Today the Castle is under extensive restoration/renovation as a private dwelling. During the 2nd World War the castle was taken over by the War Office and a prisoner-of-war camp was set up in the grounds. The Castle still exists today and is under restoration/renovation as a private residence.

9 Newark Castle: 1400 s The castle was built in 1478 by George Maxwell when he inherited the Barony of Finlanstone (Finlaystone) in the parish of Kilmacolm. The original castle had a tower house within a walled enclosure or barmkin entered through a large gatehouse. All that remains of the outer defensive wall is from one of the original corner towers. It is thought that there would have been a hall and ancillary buildings such as a bakehouse and brew house inside the walled enclosure. In the late 16th century the castle was inherited by Sir Patrick Maxwell, a powerful friend of king James VI of Scotland. Today the Castle is managed by Historic Scotland and is open to the public Dumbarton Castle: It is described as the most ancient continuously fortified place in the British Isles. Dùn Breatainn means fortress of the Britains. Records of a rex Alo Cluathe, or king of

10 Dumbarton Rock, go back at least as far as 7th century Irish chronicles. There are even earlier references in the lives of St Columba and St Patrick. In all probability there was already a settlement here during the Roman occupation and the building of the Antonine Wall nearby. It was capital of the independent British kingdom of Strathclyde before becoming part of the kingdom of the Scots. It has fallen only twice, for a few days to a combined force of Picts and Northumbrians in 756 and to a Norse Viking siege in 870. Because of its strength and strategic position, control was hotly contested in the many power struggles which characterise 14th to 16th century Scottish history. The present Castle contains 17th and 18th century buildings sites for gun batteries, a magazine for ammunition, a prison reputedly used for French prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, and the Georgian governor s house. During the later 17th and 18th century there were threats of a Jacobite uprising and French invasion to underline its strategic importance. It was garrisoned right up until the Second World War. Today it is managed by Historic Scotland and is open to the public.