Newark Castle
Heading out to the West coast, I stopped off at Newark Castle. A little confused at first when I entered the details into Google maps as there are in fact two castles in Scotland with the name Newark. One in Fife, overlooking the Firth of Forth, the other in Port Glasgow, next to the Clyde estuary. Having driven through Glasgow with the intention of staying over in Largs, it was the one West of Glasgow I was aiming for.
Described as one of Scotland’s hidden gems, this impressive survivor from late-medieval Scotland was obscured from view for many years due to the development of the shipyards around it. In fact in the photograph I’ve used for this post, you can catch a glimpse of a crane just down from the castle where there is still some industrial activity, but around the rest of the site it has now been turned over to green space. Though sadly shipping on the Clyde is not what it was, it has meant the castle has come into its own again. As usual I purchased the official souvenir guide and this has some photographs showing the castle surrounded by the shipyard, and inaccessible to the public. I’ve remarked before how I marvel at how these old buildings have managed to survive despite industrialisation and the bulldozing and demolition that went with it, and the photographs in the guide book really bring this thought into sharp focus.
The road into the castle is just off a busy roundabout and I did miss the turn as I thought I was about to enter the shipyard. A quick drive back down the road to the previous roundabout and back up again only took two minutes. I was pleased to see there was free carparking which is always a bonus and an increasingly rare thing.
You can wander around the castle and even get to the top of the tower for the view. It was glorious weather that day, though inside the castle is still chilly. Records indicate the castle was built around 1480 for George Maxwell with a major remodelling in the 1590’s. The land was owned by the Denniston family, before the Maxwells obtained it via marriage in 1402. Sir Patrick Maxwell created an elegant mansion from the original structure. Newark Castle is a good example of what was a defensive structure, being turned into a dwelling that would have been a delight to live in.
Within the grounds of the castle there still stands an impressive doocot. This is the only surviving part of the wall that surrounded the castle and dates from the 1400’s. Originally a guard room, it is two storeys high and was converted for the keeping of pigeons in the 1590’s.
It is an odd thing to see, given the great age of the castle and how it stands just off a very busy dual carriageway and Ferguson’s shipyard which is, according to the guide book, the last remaining privately owned builder on the lower Clyde river and the only one building merchant ships. The location was ideal centuries ago, but the modern world certainly encroached on it. However the castle has managed to outlive most of the industry that grew up around it. The experience of the visit has given me mixed feelings. I am delighted the castle is able to welcome visitors, but the decline of shipbuilding on the Clyde is something I feel should not have been allowed to happen. Seeing the photographs of what the area was like when the industry was in its heyday and how all that is now gone is sobering, as so many relied upon it for their livelihood. This tiny corner of Scotland clearly illustrates the changing fortunes of a country and makes me wonder what life will be like in the years to come.
The Fiction Factory 