Let me begin by saying that Haddington is a great place to live as well as to visit. Few towns can boast such a range of interesting places to see such as the Lady Kitty Dovecot, St Martin’s Kirk and the Nungate Bridge which, along with its historic closes and distinctive market cross; stand testament to the town’s cultural and historic character. It’s amazing that such places have survived into the modern age. Yet one of the most interesting buildings in Haddington was one that didn’t survive and hasn’t existed in well over half a century; namely Bothwell Castle, whose site remains one of the town’s hidden gems.
Just like many visitors and residents to the town I too had frequently walked past the small park completely oblivious to the fact that just below the grass lay the remains of one of the most unique historical buildings in Scotland. Despite the name Bothwell Castle, it was never an actual castle. Instead it was a deceptively large and somewhat eccentric building that stretched along the Hardgate and was a popular landmark in the town. Perhaps it was jokingly referred to as a “castle” because of it's high walls and round tower which looked like a wee castle perched on the quiet banks of the river as you came into the town from the East.
It was sometimes more accurately called Sandybank House and was once seen as the finest townhouse in Haddington. Although it belonged to the Earls of Bothwell for a time, there is some evidence that it predated their occupation and was built around the mid 1500’s. Certainly, the castle seems to have grown almost organically with a main block aligning along what is now the Hardgate with two wings extending eastwards out to the river. Surviving sketches show the castle included a rectangular dovecot, a tall round tower and a courtyard along with a sunken garden. Even as a ruin it attracted artists and was recognized for it's beauty. There seems to have been much debate about the degree of dereliction with some seeing it as beyond rescue while others described excellent wood panelled interiors and surviving stone carvings. No doubt the frequent floods at the time probably added to a general miasma of decay and abandonment and this may have led to its agreed demolition in 1955.
Walking past the site today little remains beyond a few visible stones, sunken garden and some surviving drawings and photographs that offer tantalizing hints at it's lost glory and beauty. Alas, the forlorn castle was to be replaced by an open access to the river side with a nicely maintained park with public gardens but there is little evidence of this now which makes the destruction of the castle less of a tragedy and more of a national disgrace.
Certainly, many such buildings have been lost over time such as John Knox’s birthplace at Giffordgate, the Burns family cottage or the grand Amisfield House; at least the land has been put to good use or a marker has been laid to commemorate what was once there.
That’s why the inclusion of some marker would help resurrect this site to better use and to help keep the location a safe space for the community and visitors alike. Currently it is not safe for young children. It also seems strange that such a green space, so close to the commercial and tourist centre of the town is not better managed.
So why should we be taking more notice of this wee patch of grass by an overgrown river bank? Because of the history. You see that in 1559, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, acting in his post of hereditary Sheriff of the town, seized 6000 crowns that were enroot to the “Lords of the Congregation”, a faction of protestant nobility in opposed to Mary Queen of Scots, and retired quickly to the “castle” to lay low and to plan his next move. When soldiers were sent to retake the treasure as well as to confiscate his family properties as punishment, he is said to have disguising himself as a washerwoman and escaping down the castle courtyard and then down the lane to the river so as to join the forces loyal to Mary Queen of Scots. He would later marry her in 1567 and it is reported that she herself may have stayed briefly at the “castle” when she visited from Dunbar. That story alone is worth a historical plaque at the very least, wouldn’t you agree?
In the 1800s the house became a girls school of some note and the teacher, a Miss Jenny Halyburton, became quite famous as an educator and shaper of young minds. Although much liked, some complained that the school had a darker side and that disobedient children were locked up in the cellars and kitchen cupboards – parts of which may still survive beneath the soil.
Given the sites rich history and natural beauty, it’s a real shame that residents and visitors walk and drive past it in complete ignorance of what once stood here. Sadly this shame is further compounded by the fact that the site fails as a public park and appears to have no other use than a “dog toilet” or where local teens can hide away and get drunk around. Certainly the misuse of this site adds to the run down aspect and anti-social elements in this town. There was once an agreeable little garden but that has since become overgrown, an eye sore and unsafe for families and children given the broken bottles and occasional used needle. With the town blighted by anti-social problems, couldn’t this fine area be made to bloom again?
There had been plans for a commemorative plaque to inform and draw attention to the history of the site but unfortunately those plans fell through. Cannot other community groups help preserve the dignity of this location? At the very least we should try and raise awareness and respect for this lovely site and this is my main reason for writing about it here.
Also because when I called the powers that be about this forgotten wee park and how it had become the home of local gangs, I was curtly told that Bothwells castle was not in Haddington but in Glasgow. Granted it is an easy mistake to make, given the similar names, but the fact that this unique bit of history has been forgotten even in its own town, is truly depressing.
I mean imagine, for arguments sake that Edinburgh Castle was demolished to make way for modern apartments, government offices and a big car park back in the 50’s… that would be bad but at least the location was being used to the benefit of the city. But imagine if Edinburgh Castle was demolished to make way for nothing; it just got demolished into a pile of dangerous rubble and an eyesore? That would be cultural vandalism of the highest order! If a town could be seen as a living body then the site of Bothwell Castle is Haddingtons broken heart.
Now here is the twist – sure it’s a non-descript grass verge with a strip of overgrown and partially wild looking riverbank BUT there is excellent archeology here just beneath the surface with much only partially explored! I had the good fortune of visiting the site with an group or archaeologists and after seen the lamentable condition the site is currently in, I was inspired by their descriptions of what might still survive lurking beneath the grass. The community archaeology programme that ran back in 2013 generated a lot of local interest especially as it showed that sections of the kitchen and storeroom still existed, as did the courtyard and walkway. What was especially exciting was that part of a doorway and windowsill was uncovered as well as hints of further 16th century archaeology to be uncovered further along this area. Hopefully one day the site might be fully excavated and opened up to the public but in the meantime perhaps a historical plaque or flowerbeds and a little TLC to make the site more family friendly?
With the popularity of Scottish history on the rise again and there being good evidence that Mary Queen of Scots herself visited and stayed at the "castle" cannot something be done?
The demolition of Bothwell castle back in the 1950’s was a tragedy for Haddington and a loss to Scotland given that the building had both a rich history as well as reflected a unique architectural heritage. Yet it's destruction does not make it a lost gem, merely a hidden one as just beneath the bland stretch of park and overgrown riverbanks remain the ruins just waiting to be rediscovered.
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