Lanark Wallace Trail

7/26/2019 Lanark Wallace Trail

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Wallace would have worshiped in thisnow ruined church, the parish church ofLanark in his time. These ruins, mostlyfrom about 1180, are the most evocativeof all the historical remains in Lanark.The south aisle has a fine 12th centurydoorway which Wallace may well havepassed through.

This building stands on the site of a verymuch earlier church, possibly founded bySt Kentigern himself in 603AD.

It is around 1296 that Wallace met MarionBraidfute for the first time. Marion was

18 years of age and the daughter ofthe Laird of Lamington. Wallace fell inlove with Marion and is reputed to havemarried her in St Kentigerns Church,fathered a daughter and lived in theBraidfute town house in the Castlegate.

Following a service in St KentigernsChurch one Sunday morning, Englishsoldiers making vulgar remarks abouthis beloved Marion provoked Wallacebeyond control. In the following fight, inwhich Wallaces men joined, the Englishtook a severe beating. When it was overthere were fifty Englishmen either deador badly wounded.

1. In the Footsteps of William Wallace

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HYNDFORDRD

HYNDFORDRD

WHITELEES

RD

HOMESTREET

LADYAC

RERD

CLYDE VALE RETAIL

PARK

ST KENTIGERNS

ST KENTIGERNS LANARKHYNDFORD ROAD, LANARK

ST KENTIGERNS DOORWAYHYNDFORD ROAD, LANARK

WALLACE AND MARION

St Kentigerns Church


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The Memorial Cairn marks the siteof the town house of the Laird ofLamington, father of Marion Braidfute.Tradition has it that Wallace lived herewith his wife, Marion. It was to here thatlegend tells us that Wallace retreatedafter his first skirmish with Englishtroops at St. Kentigern s Church. Fromhere Wallace was eventually forced toretreat and hide in the local countrysideat Cartland Crags.

Marion was not so lucky. Sir WilliamHesselrigg, the English Sheriff of

Lanark, furious at Wallaces actionsand his escape, determined onvengeance, executed Marion. Thisserved not only as a warning to otherScots, but denied Wallace the companyof the only woman, he truly loved.When the news reached Wallace hewas beside himself with grief. Howeverhe bided his time before planning hisattack on Lanark Castle.

The chapel of St Nicholas existed inthe 13th Century but no trace of it nowremains. The current Church (opposite)was built over it in 1774. Wallaces statuewas placed on the church tower in1822 and is one of the most importanticons of Lanark. Robert Forrest basedhis design on an ancient engraving ofWallace and shows Wallace wearinga Celtic style helmet, a sword and aHighland style shield. Its peculiarstyle is a typical product of the early19th century.

Excavations in 1994 inside St Nicholasrevealed pottery of the time of WilliamWallace. Six graves from the sameperiod were also found. One of thesewas for a female, could it be Marions?Nothing is known about the names ofthe deceased but because they wereburied inside the church they must havebeen important within the community.

One of the church bells is believed todate from 1110. It may be one of theoldest church bells in the world. It wasoriginally from the Old Church of StKentigem but was removed in about1668 when that church became ruinous.This bell has been recast four times.It is good to think that we can listento the same bell ringing that Wallacewould have heard when he attended StKentigems Church in 1296.


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STPATRICKSRD

FRIARSDENE

CAST

LEGATE

WELLG

ATE

HYNDFORDRDBRAXFIELDRD

HIGHSTREET

BANNATYNESTREET

BROOMGATE

DELVES

RD

SVEN

NEL

CASTLEBANKPARK

DELVESPARK

STATION

FRIA

RSLANE

NV

ENNEL

NVENNEL

HOPE

STREET

FRIARSFIELDRD

FRIARSPARK

BLOOMGATE

WESTPORT

ST NICHOLAS CHURCH

HIGH STREET, LANARK

STATUE OF WALLACEHIGH STREET, LANARK

MEMORIAL CAIRNCASTLEGATE, LANARK

TRADITIONAL SITE OFWALLACES HOUSE

ST NICHOLAS CHURCHAND STATUE OF WALLACE


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After hearing the news of Marionsmurder Wallace began planning anattack on Lanark Castle. In May 1297he gathered his small force at Cartland,and then, in small groups, stole intoLanark at dead of night. Silently, Wallaceand his followers crept up to the castleand again luck was on their side. Theyoverpowered the guards, and got accessto Hesselriggs apartments. Startledfrom his sleep, Hesselrigg was unableto defend himself. Wallace split his skullto the collarbone with his massive two-handed sword. With this act Wallacestarted the War of Independence.

The castle was of motte and baileyconstruction and was used by variousKings of Scotland including David I andWilliam the Lion (1164-1214) who usedto enjoy the hunting round Lanark. Thewooden fortifications that would have

been there in Wallaces day as well assome of the ditches defending ithave vanished over the years butsufficient is left to appreciate theposition of the Castle.As a royal castle it was very importantin the Middle Ages, a centre of justice,where the Sheriff of Lanarkshire wouldadminister justice on the kings behalf. Itwas also the occasional meeting place ofthe Scottish parliament which met here in1293, 1294 and 1295. Even after the Warsof Independence Lanark Castle continuedto be important.

It continued in existence till 1363 whenit disappears from the records. It is nowa bowling green (since about 1745).Excellent views of the fine surroundingcountryside can be had from the top ofthe castle mound.


STPATRICKSRD

FRIARSDENE FRIARSLA

NE

CASTLEGATE

WELLG

ATE

BRO

OMGATE

FRIARSFIELDRD

FRIARSPARK

CASTLEBANK

PARK

TERRACE

GARDENS

RIVERCLYDE

DELVESPARK

CASTLE

SITE

MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE

WALLACE SWORD

MEMORIAL CAIRNCASTLE HILL, LANARK

Lanark Castle

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After slaughtering the EnglishGovernor and his soldiers at LanarkCastle in May 1297, it is thought thatWallace and his men then fled souththrough the Clyde Forest to theRiver Clyde.

Part of Castlebank Park would havebeen within the bailey of Lanark Castleand was originally part of the ClydeForest which was used by the Kings ofScotland as a Royal Hunting Forest.

After King Robert the Bruce grantedlands to the Greyfriars, a monastery

was established in 1346 where thecurrent Greyfriars Church stands.It is likely that the monastery landsextended into the Clyde Forest and themonks would farm the land that is nowCastlebank. In the 14th century it wasknown as St Ninians Bank.

In 1760 John Bannatyne, Provostof Lanark, purchased the land, builtthe mansion house that, with laterextensions, you can now see and laidout the terraces in formal gardens. Inrecent years the gardens became sadlyneglected and overgrown. LanarkCommunity Development Trust has anon-going project to restore them.

The Wallace Memorial RoseGarden has been created throughthe generosity of Border BiscuitsCommunity Trust. It has funded thepurchase of 100 Freedom Roses and

100 Braveheart Roses as a permanentmemorial to Wallace making hisescape through this area after hisexploits at Lanark Castle.

The work of creating the garden fromovergrown jungle was carried outby a team from Community Payback,Castlebank volunteers and ClydesdaleCommunity Initiative

The wooden statue of Wallace atthe centre of the rose garden wascarved by Iain Chalmers of ChainsawCreations based on the design of theWallace Statue at Edinburgh Castle.


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STPATRICKSRD

FRIARSDENE

CASTLEGATE

BROOMGATE

CASTLEBANK

PARKDELVESPARK

TERRACE

GARDENS

CLYDE

WALKWAY

CLYDEWALKWAY

TO NEW LANARK

RIVERCLYDE

CASTLE

SITE

FRIARSLANE

FRIARSFIELDRD

FRIARSPARK

BRAVEHEART ROSE

WALLACE ROSE GARDEN, LANARK

STATUE OF WALLACE

Wallace Memorial Rose Garden


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After slaughtering the Sheriff Hesselriggand his soldiers at Lanark Castle, Wallaceand his followers are thought to havemade their escape through the ClydeForest and along the river following theroute that is now the Clyde Walkway. Theytook refuge in a cave in the Clyde Gorgebetween Corra Linn and Bonnington Linnuntil the hue and cry died down. He isthen thought to have made his escape toEttrick Forest.

The Scottish nobles rallied to Wallaceand before long he had an army ofthousands.

After these events in Lanark the story ofWallace moves on, reaching a climax withhis victory on September 11th 1297 atStirling and his subsequent appointmentas Guardian of Scotland. Little is heard ofWallace after his defeat at Falkirk in 1298,but he did become Scotlands first rovingambassador in Europe.

King Edward I of England put a priceon Wallaces head. Sir John Mentiethbetrayed William Wallace to the Englishand he was taken in chains to London.Following his trial in Westminster Hall, on23 August 1305, Wallace was taken fromthe hall to the Tower of London, thenstripped naked and dragged through thecity at the heels of a horse to Smithfield.He was hanged, drawn and quartered- strangled by hanging, but releasedwhile he was still alive, emasculated,eviscerated and his bowels burnedbefore him, beheaded, then cut intofour parts. His preserved head (dipped

in tar) was placed on a pike atopLondon Bridge.

His limbs were displayed, separately, inNewcastle, Berwick, Stirling, and Perth.

This plaque stands in a wall of St.Bartholomews Hospital near the site ofWallaces execution at Smithfield.


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CLYDEW

ALKWAY

RIVERCLYDE

RIVER

CLYDE

CLYDEWALKWAY

CORRALINN

NEW LANARK

NEW

LANARK

RD

WALLACE CAVENEW LANARK, CLYDE WALKWAY

WALLACE MEMORIALST BARTHOLOMEWS HOSPITAL LONDON

Wallaces Cave


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Wallace would have worshiped inhis now ruined church, the parishhurch of Lanark in his time. Theseuins, mostly from about 1180,re the most evocative of all theistorical remains in Lanark. Theouth aisle has a fine 12th centuryoorway which Wallace may wellave passed through.is around 1296 that Wallace

met Marion Braidfute for the firsttime. Marion was 18 years of ageand the daughter of the Laird ofLamington. Wallace fell in lovewith Marion and is reputed tohave married her in St KentigernsChurch, fathered a daughter andlived in the Braidfute town housein the Castlegate.Following a service in St

Kentigerns Church one Sundaymorning, English soldiers makingvulgar remarks about his belovedMarion provoked Wallace beyondcontrol. In the following fight, inwhich Wallaces men joined, theEnglish took a severe beating.When it was over there were fiftyEnglishmen either dead or badlywounded.

n the Footsteps of William Wallace

CLYDE

WALKWAY

CLYDEWALKWAY

CLYDE

RIVER

CLYDE

RIVER

CLYDE

RIVERCLYDE

NEW LANARK

BRAXFIELDTERRACE

NEWLANA

RKRD

HYNDFORDRD

HYNDFORDRD

WHITELEESRD

LADYACRERD

CLYDE VALE RETAILPARK

ST KENTIGERNS

STPATRICKSRD

FRIARSDENE

CASTL

EGATE

WELLG

ATE

HIGHSTREET

BANNATYNESTREET

BROOMGATE

SVEN

NEL

CASTLEBANK

PARK

TERRACEGARDENS

DELVESPARK

CASTLESITE

FRIARSLANE

NV

ENNEL

NVENNEL

HOPE

STREET

FRIARSFIELDRD

FRIARSPARK

BLOOMGATE

WESTPORT

Lanark Wallace Trail

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Transcript of Lanark Wallace Trail