VOLUNTEER archaeologists have discovered artefacts which may help them confirm the location of a lost medieval castle in South Lanarkshire.
The team of volunteers from Clutha Archaeology Group, who were supported by experts from Archaeology Scotland and the Countryside Ranger Service, opened three test pits to look for evidence of Eddlewood Castle in July.
Archaeologists unearthed a cobbled surface, a possible drain and pottery sherds which date to the late medieval period of 14th or 15th century in the Chatelherault Country Park forest, near Hamilton.
Experts said according to an 1889 account, Eddlewood Castle was dismantled after the Battle of Langside in 1568, which was fought between forces loyal to Mary, Queen of Scots and an army acting in the name of her infant son James VI.
The account said the site of the castle “is marked by a mound of rubbish and the fragment of a wall”.
The site of the ancient castle is also marked on the estate plan prepared for the Duke of Hamilton around 1776, which matches the report from 1889.
Ailsa Smith, co-founder of Clutha Archaeology Group and Community Representative on the Scottish Strategic Archaeology Committee, said the group plans on following more leads to find the castle.
She said: “As the pottery sherds have been confirmed as medieval, we plan to carry out another excavation in 2025 to explore the site further and hopefully find more artefacts and wall remains.
“In the meantime, we will continue our archival research to see if we can find earlier historic references to the castle and the Eddlewood estate. We will also follow up a lead from a local resident who told us that the building of the fence around the nearby housing estate disturbed cut stone blocks, which may have formed an outer wall of the castle.”
The archaeological finds have yet to corroborate the documentary evidence which was written hundreds of years after the castle was reportedly destroyed.
Documents of the castle only detail a location, so nothing is known of the castle’s appearance or when it was built.
The excavation at Chatelherault Country Park is part of a collection of stories by Scotland's Archaeology Strategy’s new online magazine.
Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland 2024 magazine launched on Friday, and aims to bring together articles and comments from people and organisations across the country.
Launched in 2015, Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy is a 10-year process of making archaeology “central to Scottish life” and aims to be an open conversation about archaeology’s contribution to society and the importance of situating Scotland’s heritage in a global context.
Dr Andy Heald, chair of the Scottish Strategic Archaeology Committee, said: “These stories highlight the diverse nature of the sector and one of Scotland's Archaeology Strategy's core visions - inclusivity. As we begin to reflect on the last nine years of the Strategy and look to the future, we will continue to celebrate the great work being done throughout the sector and those that are doing it.”
Alex Adamson, head of Heritage Research Service at Historic Environment Scotland, said this year's edition of the magazine is a celebration of archaeology in Scotland.
He said: “Archaeology brings alive Scotland’s past, helping us to better understand the world around us today. As we approach 2025, the current Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy is coming to an end and we look to the future.
“The strategy has given us many successes to celebrate and much to build on as our focus turns to the contribution archaeology can make in the next decade.
“This year’s issue of Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland shows how archaeology is vital to delivering the goals of our wider sector strategy, Our Past, Our Future: the transition to net zero, empowering local communities, and building a wellbeing economy for residents all over the country.”
You can find the Celebrating Archaeology in Scotland 2024 magazine here.
