Crookston Castle

Last updated

Crookston Castle
Pollok Glasgow, Scotland
Crookston Castle.jpg
Crookston Castle in 2005
Site information
Owner Scottish Government
(Historic Environment Scotland)
Site history
Built12th century; rebuilt c. 1400

Crookston Castle is a ruined medieval castle in the Pollok area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is located some five miles (eight kilometres) southwest of the city centre, on a hill overlooking the Levern Water, just before its confluence with the White Cart Water. Crookston Castle was built by the Stewarts of Darnley around 1400, and is set within earthworks constructed in the 12th century. Once the property of the earls and dukes of Lennox, the castle was extensively repaired following a siege in 1544, and it is the only surviving medieval castle in Glasgow.

Contents

History

Crookston 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. [1] 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 of Darnley, in 1361. The Darnley Stewarts replaced the early castle with the present stone structure around 1400. [2] [3]

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. [4] [5] On 3 April 1544, the castle was besieged and taken [2] by the Earl of Arran and Cardinal Beaton, while the then Earl of Lennox was defending Glasgow Castle. At this time, Crookston was regarded as the principal house of the earls of Lennox. [6] Regent Arran installed five gunners in the castle in May 1544. [7]

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, [8] under a yew tree. [5] The yew was felled in 1816, [9] and a model of Crookston Castle, now on display in Pollok House, was carved from its wood. [10] In 1572, Crookston was granted to another Stewart, Charles, the Earl of Lennox. [11]

In 1703 the Duke of Lennox sold the castle to the Duke of Montrose, and it remained the property of the Dukes of Montrose until 1757, when it was sold by William Graham, 2nd Duke of Montrose to the Maxwells of Pollok. [5] 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 Scotland, having been presented by Sir John Maxwell Stirling-Maxwell, who was one of the Trust's founder members and first Vice Presidents. [10] During the Second World War the north-eastern tower was used as an aircraft watch tower. [12]

Today, Crookston Castle is a scheduled monument. [13] Its maintenance is the responsibility of Historic Environment Scotland, and the castle is open to the public. [14] It is the second-oldest building in Glasgow, after Glasgow Cathedral. [15]

Architecture

Crookston Castle in 1900 Crookston Castle 1900 0052.jpg
Crookston Castle in 1900

Crookston Castle sits atop a natural hill, emphasised by the early ring ditch, which can still be seen. To the north is a steep drop to the Levern Water. The castle has a rectangular main block, which was strengthened by a tower at each corner. This formed an irregular 'X-plan' shape, an unusual layout also seen at Hermitage Castle. [11] Only the north-east corner tower survives to its former height, as well as the basement of the south-east tower. The two western towers were destroyed in the 15th century and never rebuilt, repairs in the 19th century have obscured even the remains of these. The main body of the castle measures about 19 m by 12 m, with walls up to 3.7 m thick, and the north-east tower is around 6m square. [16]

The entrance is on the north side, adjacent to the north-east tower, and defended by a portcullis and two doors. A straight mural stair leads up to the right, while ahead is a barrel-vaulted basement with slit windows and a well. The hall is at first-floor level, and was also vaulted, rising to 8.3 m high. A turnpike stair in the south-east corner gave access to another storey above the hall, as well as upper rooms in the eastern towers. The towers had one room on each floor. In the basement of the north-east tower is a prison only accessible from above, while at the top there is access to the four storeys of the tower, via modern iron ladders, opening onto an impressive view from the roof. The top of the north-east tower, including corbels, was also rebuilt in the 19th century.

Verse and fiction

The poets Robert Burns, William Motherwell and Robert Tannahill have all mentioned the castle in their works, while Sir Walter Scott, in his 1820 novel The Abbot , suggested Mary, Queen of Scots, watched the Battle of Langside from beneath its yew tree, although the topography makes this impossible. [17]

Notes

  1. "Glasgow, 170 Brockburn Road, Crookston Castle". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland.
  2. 1 2 Cruckston Castle (Pollok House, 1830), The Glasgow Story
  3. Crookston Castle, The Castles of Scotland.
  4. Coventry, p.160; Mason, p.101
  5. 1 2 3 Crookston Castle (Mitchell Library, Foulis Academy Prints, 1763), The Glasgow Story
  6. Thomson, Thomas, ed., A diurnal of remarkable occurrents that have passed within Scotland since the death of king James IV till 1575 (Bannatyne Club, 1833), p. 31.
  7. James Balfour Paul, Accounts of the Treasurer, vol. 8 (Edinburgh, 1908), p. 297.
  8. Wemyss Castle is also claimed as the site of the betrothal.
  9. "Glasgow, Crookston, Queen Mary's Tree". Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland.
  10. 1 2 Mason, p. 102.
  11. 1 2 Lindsay, p. 177.
  12. "Did you know that some of Scotland's castles were used during the Second World War?" . Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  13. Historic Environment Scotland. "Crookston Castle (SM90085)" . Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  14. "Crookston Castle". Historic Scotland.
  15. Battle begins to reclaim castle for local community, Evening Times, 31 July 2013.
  16. All measurements are those given by Salter, p. 134.
  17. Lindsay, p. 178.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nitshill</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Nitshill is a district on the south side of Glasgow. It is bordered by South Nitshill to the south, Darnley to the east, Crookston and Roughmussel to the north-west, Hurlet to the west and Househillwood and Priesthill to the north, with the Pollok district and the Silverburn Centre beyond. An area of open ground to the south-west of Nitshill forms the boundary between Glasgow and the town of Barrhead in East Renfrewshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pollok</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Pollok is a large housing estate on the south-western side of the city of Glasgow, Scotland. The estate was built either side of World War II to house families from the overcrowded inner city. Housing 30,000 at its peak, its population has since declined due to the replacement of substandard housing with lower-density accommodation. As of 2021, the population was recorded at 81,951 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lochleven Castle</span> Castle in Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Lochleven Castle is a ruined castle on an island in Loch Leven, in the Perth and Kinross local authority area of Scotland. Possibly built around 1300, the castle was the site of military action during the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1357). In the latter part of the 14th century, the castle was granted to William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas, by his uncle. It remained in the Douglases' hands for the next 300 years. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned there in 1567–68, and forced to abdicate as queen, before escaping with the help of her gaoler's family. In 1588, the queen's gaoler inherited the title of Earl of Morton, and moved away from the castle. In 1675, Sir William Bruce, an architect, bought the castle and used it as a focal point for his garden; it was never again used as a residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox</span> Scottish nobleman and politician

Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox was a leader of the Catholic nobility in Scotland. He was the paternal grandfather of King James VI of Scotland. He owned Temple Newsam in Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crookston, Glasgow</span> Suburb of Glasgow, Scotland

Crookston is a residential suburb on the southwestern edge of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craigmillar Castle</span> Castle in City of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

Craigmillar Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is three miles (4.8 km) south-east of the city centre, on a low hill to the south of the modern suburb of Craigmillar. The Preston family of Craigmillar, the local feudal barons, began building the castle in the late 14th century and building works continued through the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1660, the castle was sold to Sir John Gilmour, Lord President of the Court of Session, who breathed new life into the ageing castle. The Gilmours left Craigmillar in the 18th century for a more modern residence, nearby Inch House, and the castle fell into ruin. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument, and is open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darnley</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Darnley is an area in south-west Glasgow, Scotland, on the A727 just west of Arden. Other nearby neighbourhoods are Priesthill to the north, Southpark Village to the south, and South Nitshill and Parkhouse to the west; there is also a small industrial estate. The closest railway station is Priesthill and Darnley. The Brock Burn flows through the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawford Castle</span> Castle in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, UK

Crawford Castle, substantially in ruins, is located on the north bank of the River Clyde, around 12 mile north of Crawford, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruins stand on an earlier motte and bailey earthwork. The castle is also known as Lindsay Tower, after its former owners, the Lindsay family. The strategic location of the castle, at NS954213, guards the strategically important Mennock Pass from England into the upper Clyde Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haggs Castle</span>

Haggs Castle is a 16th-century tower house, located in the neighbourhood of Pollokshields, in Glasgow, Scotland. The richly decorated building was restored in the 19th century, and today is once more occupied as a residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strathaven Castle</span> Building in Strathaven, Scotland

Strathaven Castle is located in the centre of the small town of Strathaven, in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The ruin is closed to the public and has been for 5 years. A Friends of Strathaven Castle Group was set up in February 2023 to promote the repair and renewed access to the towns major landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crichton Castle</span> Ruin in Midlothian, Scotland

Crichton Castle is a ruined castle near the village of Crichton in Midlothian, Scotland. It is situated at the head of the River Tyne, 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village of Pathhead, and the same distance east of Gorebridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clan Lennox</span> Lowland Scottish clan

Clan Lennox is a Lowland Scottish clan. The clan chiefs were the original Earls of Lennox, although this title went via an heiress to other noble families in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The chiefship of the clan then went to the Lennox of Woodehead branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rothesay Castle</span> Castle in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

Rothesay Castle is a ruined castle in Rothesay, the principal town on the Isle of Bute, in western Scotland. Located at NS086646, the castle has been described as "one of the most remarkable in Scotland", for its long history dating back to the beginning of the 13th century, and its unusual circular plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mugdock Castle</span> Castle with associated chapel and house, all ruins, in Stirling, Scotland, UK

Mugdock Castle was the stronghold of the Clan Graham from the middle of the 13th century. Its ruins are located in Mugdock Country Park, just west of the village of Mugdock in the parish of Strathblane. The castle is within the registration county of Stirlingshire, although it is only 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire, on the northern outskirts of Greater Glasgow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox</span> Earl of Lennox

John Stewart, 1st Earl of Lennox was a Scottish earl. He was known as Lord Darnley and later as the Earl of Lennox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Campbell</span> Medieval castle in Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Castle Campbell is a medieval castle situated above the town of Dollar, Clackmannanshire, in central Scotland. It was the lowland seat of the earls and dukes of Argyll, chiefs of Clan Campbell, from the 15th to the 19th century, and was visited by Mary, Queen of Scots, in the 16th century. Mary was impressed by this and said "this reminds me of home".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levern Water</span> River in Scotland

The Levern Water, is a small river in East Renfrewshire and Glasgow, Scotland. It rises in the Long Loch, and flows generally north and east, past the towns of Neilston and Barrhead, for a total distance of 9 miles (14 km). It empties into the White Cart River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whittingehame Tower</span> Building in East Linton, Scotland

Whittingehame Tower, or Whittingehame Castle, is a fifteenth-century tower house about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of East Linton, on the west bank of Whittinghame Water in East Lothian, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Glasgow (1544)</span> Battle on 16 March 1544 between the Earl of Lennox and the Earl of Arran, the Scottish regent

The Battle of Glasgow was fought on 16 March 1544, between Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and the Scottish Regent James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran, and their adherents, during the minority of Mary, Queen of Scots. There was a second battle at Glasgow Muir in May 1544, known as the Battle of the Butts, between Arran and the Earl of Glencairn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inchinnan Castle</span>

Inchinnan Castle was a 16th-century castle, about 1 mile (1.6 km) south and east of Erskine, Renfrewshire, Scotland, and about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the village of Inchinnan, south of the shore of the River Clyde, opposite Newshot Island.

References

See also

55°50′06″N4°21′21″W / 55.83513°N 4.35584°W / 55.83513; -4.35584