Cathcart Castle
{{short description|Castle in Glasgow City, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox building
|name = CathcartSubclade distance 0 Castle
|image = Cathcart Castle from South East 1887 fig 170 1887.jpg
|caption = Cathcart Castle from the south-east circa. 1887
|map_type =
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|location = Glasgow
|location_town = Cathcart
|location_country = Scotland
|architect =
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|construction_start_date =
|completion_date = Mid 15th century
|date_demolished = 1980
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Cathcart Castle was a 15th-century castle, located in what is now Linn Park in the Cathcart area of southern Glasgow, Scotland. The castle was abandoned in the 18th century, and the remaining ruins were pulled down in 1980, leaving only foundations visible.
History
File:Queen Mary's Stone 1900 0088.jpg
The lands of Cathcart were held by the family of that name from the 12th century. In the mid-15th century, the head of the family was raised to the peerage as Lord Cathcart, and it is believed that the castle was built at around this time.Salter, p.129 In 1546 the castle passed to the Semple family. It is highly unlikely that Mary, Queen of Scots, would have spent the night before the Battle of Langside (1568) at Cathcart Castle or have watched the battle from a nearby hill called the Court Knowe. The Semples were supporters of Mary's enemies and would have captured her and put an end to her plans before the battle had started.Mason, p.81 Court Knowe is some 15 m below the height of Langside village, where the battle took place, meaning Mary would not have been able to see what took place. A more likely site would have been Prospecthill, which lies on the line of her army's approach to Langside.Laird of Langside
An alternative version of the story has the Queen living with her kinsfolk, the Stuarts of Castlemilk, whose defensive stronghold at the foot of the Cathkin Braes contained a chamber later known as Queen Mary's Room, where Her Majesty supposedly lodged on the night before the Battle of Langside. The ceiling of this room was ornamented with the arms of the Stuart monarchs of Scotland.Ure, p.158McDowall, p.40 This is unlikely either, as Mary spent the preceding week at Hamilton, where 6,000 troops gathered.Guide to the Battle of Langside 2018
In 1740 the Semples built Cathcart House, also since demolished, nearby, and moved out of the castle, leaving it to ruin. The newly created 1st Earl Cathcart bought back his ancestral home in 1814, although with the intention of selling off the stone rather than living in it. In 1866 the castle was still standing to five storeys, and was surrounded by outbuildings.Williamson, Riches and Higgs, p.540 The lands around the castle were purchased by Glasgow City Council in 1927, and added to Linn Park. In 1980 the remaining ruins were pronounced dangerous, and were pulled down by the council. The site is now a Scheduled Monument.Historic Environment Scotland, SM2105
Architecture
The castle was built on the rocky north-east bank of the White Cart Water. It comprised a rectangular tower house, {{convert|15.5|by|9|m|abbr=on}}, of five storeys including a vaulted basement. This was supplemented by a curtain wall, enclosing a small barmkin approximately {{convert|22|by|15|m|abbr=on}}, with the tower at the centre. The curtain wall had round corner towers, and a twin-towered gatehouse to the east. The foundations of the tower house remain to around {{convert|1|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} high. Earthworks to the west of the castle have been interpreted as the remains of an outer bailey or ringwork.NMRS Site Ref. NS56SE 43
During archaeological investigations a fragmentary plaster armorial dating from the 1630s with the arms of Bryce Semple and Jean Lauder of Hatton was discovered. This seems to have been part of a fireplace overmantle and ceiling in the hall of the tower.Adrian Cox, 'Decorative Plaster', Brian Kerr, 'Cathcart Castle, Glasgow: Excavations 1980–81', Scottish Archaeological Journal, 38 (2016), pp. 61-66.
Notes
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References
- Mason, Gordon The Castles of Glasgow and the Clyde, Goblinshead, 2000
- Salter, Mike The Castles of South West Scotland, Folly Publications, 1993
- Williamson, E, Riches, A and Higgs, M The Buildings of Scotland: Glasgow, Penguin, 1990
- National Monuments Record of Scotland Site Reference NS56SE 43 [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928000020/http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=44305]
- Ure, David The History of Rutherglen and East Kilbride, 1793
- McDowall, John.K., The People's History of Glasgow, 1899
- {{Historic Environment Scotland|num=SM2105|desc=Cathcart Castle|access-date=24 February 2019}}
- Langside Community Heritage 'Guide to the Battle of Langside, 2018'
External links
- [http://www.gerryblaikie.com/southglasgow/cathcart.htm Cathcart Castle , views and history]
- [http://linnpark.tdocplus.co.uk/index.php/some-history/ruins-of-cathcart-castle Photographs of the remains of Cathcart Castle, Linn Park]
{{coord|55.8130|-4.2563|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title}}
Category:Buildings and structures demolished in 1980
Category:1980 disestablishments in Scotland
Category:15th-century establishments in Scotland
Category:Listed castles in Scotland
Category:Scheduled monuments in Glasgow