Douglas Castle
| Douglas Castle | ||
|---|---|---|
 The current remains of Douglas Castle |
||
| Creation time : | before 1290 | |
| Castle type : | Niederungsburg | |
| Conservation status: | ruin | |
| Geographical location | 55 ° 33 '58 " N , 3 ° 50' 10.5" W | |
|
||
Douglas Castle is about a kilometer northeast of the South Lanarkshire parish of Douglas in southwest Scotland . The original 13th century castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times until a mansion was built in the 18th century . When this was also destroyed in 1938, no reconstruction followed. Only a single corner tower from the 17th century remains of the original castle and all subsequent modifications and additions.
history
The first castle built by the Douglas family was probably built on this site before 1290 and was made of a combination of stone and wood. During the Scottish War of Independence , the castle was initially conquered and occupied by English troops under Lord Clifford in the spring of 1307 . James of Douglas , a companion of Robert the Bruce , regained his family home when he stormed the castle on Palm Sunday of the same year while the English occupiers were attending a service. All occupiers were killed, the bodies then thrown into a cellar and the entire castle burned down. This practice became known as "Douglas' larder" (Douglas pantry). Robert the Bruce rewarded the Douglas family's loyalty with numerous estates; the castle was rebuilt and James' nephew was given the hereditary title of Earl of Douglas .
In the 15th century the power of the Douglas line, then called "Black", soared that it even threatened the Stewart monarchy . In 1455, James II led a campaign against the rebelling James, 9th Earl of Douglas and defeated him at the Battle of Arkinholm . The "black line" of the Douglas lost all lands and titles; Douglas Castle was sacked and pillaged.
The younger and illegitimate "red line" of the Douglas, who at that time bore the title of Earls of Angus , stood at the side of Jacob II in this dispute. As a reward, George, 4th Earl of Angus received the land and property awarded to the former Earls of Douglas. The castle was rebuilt shortly afterwards, but no longer used as a residence.
In June 1574, James Douglas, 4th Earl of Morton , was the regent for eight-year-old Jacob VI. , the castle. He wanted to check what repairs were necessary to make Douglas Castle habitable again.
In 1703, Archibald Douglas , 3rd Marquess of Douglas, was named Duke of Douglas at the age of 9 . He chose Douglas Castle as his ancestral home and had it expanded and remodeled. A gatehouse and an enclosed courtyard with a corner tower originated from this time. With the exception of this corner tower, the entire castle was destroyed by fire in 1755. From 1757 he began building a crenellated mansion. The architects, led by Robert Adam , planned a building that, if completed, would have been the largest castle in Scotland. The five-story building was to be adorned with round towers in the front and square towers in the rear facade. The whole complex should fit harmoniously into a huge park that included the entire valley and a stream. When Archibald Douglas died in 1761, the building was not even half finished. Since he had no heirs, a lawsuit that lasted for years resulted in James Douglas-Hamilton, 7th Duke of Hamilton, as the winner and new owner of Douglas Castle. Construction work is completed, but the building according to Robert Adam's plans is never completed.
Around 1930, Charles Douglas-Home, 13th Earl of Home, allowed coal digging in the surrounding lands, also to combat high unemployment in the area. However, the excavations caused such severe damage to the substance of the manor house that it had to be completely demolished in 1938. A reconstruction did not take place.
Today only the ruins of a round tower from the construction phase between 1703 and 1755 remain. It is about nine meters high and contains the remains of three floors. In the foundation there is a small cellar in which glazed tiles can be found. In the time of the manor, of which there are no longer any traces, the tower was preserved as a folly in the extensive park. The tower ruin is protected as a "Category C listed building".
Trivia
Sir Walter Scott used the surroundings as well as the early history of Douglas Castle as inspiration for his novella Castle Dangerous . The title of this novella is still occasionally used today for the castle.
The mansion was the home of future Prime Minister Alec Douglas-Home from the mid-1930s until its destruction in 1938 .
literature
- Alec Douglas-Home: The way the wind blows. An autobiography . Collins, London 1976, ISBN 0-00-211997-8 .
- Mike Salter: The Castles of South West Scotland . Folly Publications, Malvern 1993.
Web links
- Entry on Douglas Castle in Canmore, Historic Environment Scotland database
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mike Salter gives 1288, but without a source.
- ↑ Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
- ↑ Sir Walter Scott: Tales of My Landlord . Fourth row: Castle Dangerous . Edinburgh 1832.