by Ailsa Smith and Edward Smith, Clutha Archaeology Group
Introduction
The Clutha Archaeology Group (Clutha) is interested in exploring the archaeology of the Clyde and its tributary, the Avon Water. The main focusses of the group are the promontory sites and incised valleys of this area. Promontory sites are located above steep cliffs, offering a natural defence and a pronounced position in the landscape. The valleys are defined as ‘narrow, steep sided valleys cut deeply into the plateau farmlands’ (Scottish National Heritage – LCT 204 Incised River Valleys). The valleys are home to a variety of sites, from prehistoric sites, to castles and industrial workings. These narrow, steep sided valleys are rarely used today for commercial purposes and are unaffected by modern farming and house building. Because of this, it seems likely that most of the archaeological attention they receive will come from community archaeology groups.
Remains from many archaeological periods exist in these areas. Among the known periods are Iron Age (and possibly medieval) at Castle Qua, medieval at Cadzow Castle and industrial at Hallcraig. However, it seems likely that earlier structures were present in these locations which were naturally defensive, or controlled movement through these gorge-cut landscapes. This is particularly true of Hallcraig where, today, the foundations of an 18th century mansion are visible near signs of industrial activity within an area which has clearly been important over a long period of time. The Old Statistical Account of 1793 suggests that Hallcraig was formerly a place of strength, traces of which remained at that time. The industrial period had a considerable effect on the Upper Clyde so there are many remains from this period still visible in the landscape, but far fewer known sites from the Iron Age and earlier periods.
The sites in the incised valleys, which the Clutha Archaeology Group have investigated, have the following characteristics in common:
- Sites are perched on the edge of a steep-sided gorge
- Access to the sites is restricted, by the steep ground, to a relatively narrow entrance
- There is often higher ground nearby
- There may be archaeological remains on the sites (such as upstanding ditches and banks)
These features could be used to define a type of promontory site.
In this project, our group hopes to undertake the following activities:
- Explore the incised valleys of the Upper Clyde
- Identify potential promontory sites
- Excavate some of these sites to find, among other things, datable material, and evidence for the purpose, use and longevity of these sites
- Investigate the history (or prehistory) of these sites, and contextualise them within their landscapes and chronological relationships
- Investigation into possibility of routeways along the incised valleys
Background
Many of the people in Clutha Archaeology Group met during the Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership (CAVLP), which ran between 2016 and 2018. This project provided opportunities to learn about the landscape and heritage of the Clyde and Avon Valleys with options for training in local heritage skills, including some aspects of field archaeology. One area of particular interest in the project was Chatelherault Country Park and, after CAVLP ended, Clutha was formed and continued to investigate this area.
The group discovered that the gorge carved out by the Avon Water is an incised valley and decided to explore similar landscapes in the Upper Clyde.
Paul Murtagh, who led the heritage element of CAVLP, highlighted a site of interest at the edge of Chatelherault Country Park, in the Meikle Glen. A Clutha group visit to Hamilton Public Library revealed the original estate plan which showed the word ‘Castle’ marked at this location, as seen above. The site is also marked on the plan of the High Parks area of the Duke of Hamilton’s estate prepared by Douglas in 1776.
A site visit to Meikle Burn revealed features which matched the following description of Eddlewood Castle in Canmore (now Trove):
‘The Castle of Eddlewood was situated on the Meikle Burn, short distance below the confluence of Blackbog and Simsonland burns, and within the wall which encloses the High Parks of Hamilton. Its site is marked by a mound of rubbish and the fragment of a wall. It was probably dismantled…by the troops of the Regent Murray, after the Battle of Langside, in 1568.’
This is a quotation from the Hamilton Advertiser of 1874 which can be seen at Hamilton Public Library. At the site, there is a fragment of wall on a mound, which is probably the ‘mound of rubbish and the fragment of a wall’.
No reference to Eddlewood Castle has been found prior to the 18th century estate plan, though Eddlewood Estate has been mentioned in earlier records. For example, a 14th century charter records that ‘Robert, king of Scots, has given his beloved and faithful Oliver Carpenter, for his homage and service, all the land of Eddlewood in Clydesdale’ (POMS record).
Site investigation
In July 2024, Clutha Archaeology Group investigated the Eddlewood Castle site and opened three test pits under the advice of Andrew Jepson of Archaeology Scotland.
The site is part of the designated country park and the Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve (NNR). Permission for excavation within the country park was granted by South Lanarkshire Council Countryside and Greenspace Service. The main features of the site are a flat area and a mound of earth and bedrock, shown below. On top of the mound, walls of quarry-cut stone blocks led people to suspect that, as the markings on historic maps suggest, there was once a castle here.
Sherds of medieval pottery dating to the 14th or 15th century AD were uncovered In the test pit of the flat area below the mound. Some of the sherds were glazed. On top of the mound, the remains of a tiled floor were uncovered in the area between two stone walls. The walls appeared to be positioned perpendicularly and a single floor tile was discovered in the corner.
Discussion
The discovery of medieval pottery has made this site even more interesting. Before this, the main information on the history of this site was the suggested ‘castle’ from the 18th century estate plan and rumours of activity in the 16th century following the Battle of Langside. Now there is strong evidence that the site was occupied in the medieval period, meaning this area may have been part of a deer park which included Cadzow Castle with its remains of a park pale.
There is a great deal more to be discovered at this site. Some suggestions for future investigations include the excavation of the mound area to determine the nature of the structure. Archaeology Scotland advised us to do this only with professional supervision, as there will likely be health and safety issues with the stability of the stone walls. Further excavation will probably destroy the site so it will be necessary to keep a careful, accurate record of the process.
It is likely that the area occupied in the past was larger than the site explored on this visit. As such, future work will expand the area to find out how it relates to the higher ground nearby. Geophysics across the area would also help to identify further archaeological features. The flat area, where the medieval pottery sherds were found, may contain significant evidence of activity on the site. The steep drop down to the Meikle Burn should also be explored to find any material which may have fallen from the site.
Conclusion
Eddlewood Castle is only one of many promontory sites in an incised valley of the Upper Clyde. Clutha’s plans for future investigation include visiting these sites, recording the remains and investigating their potential for further investigation in order to date them and define their purposes. We also aim to record the history of these sites and how they changed over time.
There are trackways that were active in the industrial period for moving goods to market. However, there were probably links between these sites in earlier times. Our investigations will involve identifying these trackways and shedding light on the link between the industrial tracks and those from earlier periods.
Finally, we hope to investigate if any of the promontory sites were active at the same time. For example, there is a possibility that the Eddlewood Castle site was occupied at the same time a deer park was active near Cadzow Castle. This research will allow us to build a more nuanced picture of the use of the ‘gorge-scapes’ of the Clyde and its tributaries through time, from prehistory to the present.
