Caerlaverock Castle facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Caerlaverock Castle
11 km (7 mi) south of Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway GB grid reference NY024655 in Scotland
Caerlaverock Castle from the air
Caerlaverock Castle
Coordinates	54°58′32″N 3°31′26″W / 54.9756408°N 3.5239534°W / 54.9756408; -3.5239534
Site information
Owner	Historic Environment Scotland
Open to the public	Yes
Condition	Partially demolished
Site history
Built	Late 13th century
Built by	Clan Maxwell
Demolished	1640 (partial demolition)
Events	Sieges in 1300 and 1640 among others

Caerlaverock Castle is a special triangular castle with a moat (a ditch filled with water) that was first built in the 13th century. It's located on the southern coast of Scotland, about 11 kilometers (7 miles) south of Dumfries. The castle sits right next to the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve.

For about 400 years, from the 13th to the 17th century, Caerlaverock was a strong home for the Maxwell family. During the Wars of Scottish Independence, English armies attacked it. The castle was partly destroyed and rebuilt many times over the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 17th century, the Maxwells became very important and were given the title of Earls of Nithsdale. They built a fancy new living area inside the castle walls. In 1640, the castle faced its last attack from a Protestant army called the Covenanters. After this, it was left empty and was never used as a home again. Even though it was destroyed and rebuilt many times, Caerlaverock Castle still has its unique triangular shape from when it was first built. It was originally built to control trade in the area.

Today, Caerlaverock Castle is a protected historic site looked after by Historic Environment Scotland. It's a popular place for tourists to visit.

What's in a Name?
Castle's Story
Castle's Design
Nature Reserve
Images for kids
See also

What's in a Name?

The name Caerlaverock comes from an old language called Common Brittonic. The first part, Caer, means "a strong, protected place" or "fortress." You can see this in the Welsh word caer, which means "fort" or "city."

The second part of the name, laverock, might come from an old personal name or a lost stream name that meant "talkative." Over time, the name was also influenced by the Scots word laverock, which means "skylark" (a type of bird).

Castle's Story

Before the current castle, there were other forts nearby. A Roman fort once stood on Ward Law Hill, and a British hill fort was used around the year 950. Old stories from the 12th century say that King Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio died near here in a battle in 573. His death made his bard, Myrddin Wyllt, go mad and hide in the woods. This story later helped create the famous character of Merlin in the King Arthur legends.

The Maxwell family, who owned the castle, can be traced back to the 11th century. John de Maccuswell, who died in 1241, was the first Lord Maxwell of Caerlaverock. The castle and lands were passed down through the Maxwell family for many generations.

The land where Caerlaverock Castle stands was first mentioned around 1160. Around 1220, Alexander II of Scotland gave the land to Sir John Maxwell. Sir John started building the first castle at Caerlaverock. This early castle was square and was one of the first stone castles in Scotland. It had a moat and a bridge. Only its foundations and some remains of a wooden fence are left today.

This first castle might not have been finished when it was left for a new spot about 200 meters (650 feet) north. Here, Sir John's brother, Sir Aymer Maxwell, began building the castle we see today. The "new" castle was finished in the 1270s, and Herbert Maxwell, Sir John's nephew, moved in.

When the moat for the second castle was dug, the stones they dug out were likely used to build the castle itself. While the main entrance (gatehouse) stands on natural rock, the rest of the castle was built on a special clay platform.

Wars of Independence

In 1299, the soldiers at Caerlaverock attacked Lochmaben Castle, which was held by English forces.

The Siege of Caerlaverock

Caerlaverock Castle by J. M. W. Turner, around 1832

The castle from the south-west in 2016

In July 1300, King Edward I of England marched north with a huge army to attack Caerlaverock. Many important English nobles and knights were with him, including Prince Edward (who later became King Edward II).

The Maxwells, led by Sir Eustace Maxwell, defended the castle bravely. They fought off the English several times. In the end, the small group of only sixty defenders had to give up. They had held off the entire English army for a long time!

During this siege, the English heralds (officers who managed coats of arms) wrote a special poem in Old French. It's called the Siege of Caerlaverock. This poem named each noble and knight present, described their brave actions, and even gave a poetic description of their family symbols.

Castle Changes Hands

After the siege, Sir Eustace Maxwell got the castle back. At first, he supported John Balliol, another Scottish king. Later, he switched his support to Robert Bruce. Because of this, the English attacked Caerlaverock again, but they didn't win.

Sir Eustace then decided to destroy parts of the castle himself. He did this to prevent the English from taking it and using it as a base. Robert Bruce rewarded him well for this sacrifice.

By 1337, the castle was lived in again. Sir Eustace changed sides once more, supporting Edward Balliol. Around 1355, Sir Roger Kirkpatrick captured Caerlaverock for David II of Scotland and partly destroyed it again.

Repair and Rebuilding

View showing a later addition to the castle at the north end of the Inner Court

By the mid-14th century, after the Wars of Independence ended, the Maxwells got Caerlaverock back. Sir Robert Maxwell rebuilt much of the castle between 1373 and 1410. More work was done in the mid-15th century, likely rebuilding the main entrance. A new building on the west side was added around 1500.

The Maxwells were Catholic and supported Mary, Queen of Scots. After she was forced to give up her throne in 1567, an English Protestant army attacked Caerlaverock in 1570. The castle was partly destroyed again, and its gatehouse was blown up with gunpowder.

By 1593, John, 8th Lord Maxwell was repairing the castle once more. He was making the gatehouse stronger to defend against the Johnstone family, with whom the Maxwells were fighting. The 8th Lord was killed by the Johnstones. Later, in 1613, the 9th Lord Maxwell was executed for getting revenge by murdering Sir James Johnstone.

The Earls of Nithsdale

In 1619, Robert, 10th Lord Maxwell, married a cousin of the Duke of Buckingham, who was a close friend of James VI of Scotland. Because of this, Robert was made Earl of Nithsdale and given an important role in the Scottish government.

To show his new high status, he built the fancy new living areas inside the castle, known as the Nithsdale Lodging. These new buildings were finished around 1634.

However, religious problems soon turned against the Maxwells, who were strong Catholics. In 1640, a Protestant army called the Covenanters surrounded Caerlaverock for 13 weeks. They finally forced the castle to surrender. The Earl and Countess of Nithsdale were allowed to leave, but the castle's south wall and tower were destroyed. After this, the castle was never repaired or lived in again.

Castle's Design

The castle ground floor plan, showing the different parts of the building.

Caerlaverock Castle is very unusual because it has a triangular shape. It's one of only a few castles like this in Europe and the only one in the UK. It's also rare for a Scottish castle to have a moat and earth walls around it. The castle sits in a low, formerly swampy area near the River Nith, which is also unusual for a defensive building. However, it is considered the best example of a castle in southwest Scotland.

The castle's main shape is a triangle. The main entrance, called the Gatehouse, is on the north side and has two large round towers. There are also smaller round towers in the southwest and southeast corners. The tower in the southwest, called Murdoch’s Tower, is mostly complete. But the tower in the southeast was largely destroyed during the 1640 siege.

Even though the castle has been attacked and rebuilt many times, you can still see its original shape from the late 13th century. The lower parts of the outer walls are still there. The early parts of the castle were built from red sandstone found nearby. Much of the outer walls on the west and east sides still stand as high as the parapet (the low wall at the top).

Inside the castle walls, there are four main parts: the Gatehouse, the west range, the Banqueting Hall range, and the Nithsdale Lodging range. These parts were built at different times. The buildings, especially in the south, are mostly ruins. The Banqueting Hall range, for example, is only a few meters high.

The Gatehouse range is the oldest part of the castle that remains. It has two huge round towers with the entrance passage between them. The west tower is mostly original, but the east tower was rebuilt in the late 15th century. Even though the upper parts are ruined, the towers still stand about 15.5 meters (50 feet) high above the drawbridge. They have special openings called machicolations (holes for dropping things on attackers) from the late 15th-century rebuilding. Inside, the gatehouse has an entrance with a portcullis (a heavy gate that drops down) and a hall above it.

The west range was built around 1500. It doesn't have a roof, but it's mostly complete. This part has several rectangular rooms on two floors, each with a fireplace. These rooms were probably used for living.

The south or Banqueting House range was mostly destroyed during the Covenanter's siege in 1640, when cannons and planned destruction brought down its walls. The Hall was very large, and you can still see how grand it was from the remains of a big fireplace on its north wall.

The Nithsdale Lodging building is in the northeast part of the castle's inside and was the last part to be built. It's the most complete part of the castle. Even though it's missing its two easternmost sections, it's perhaps the most amazing part. It has a beautiful Renaissance-style front from the 1630s. This front is decorated with carved stone designs above nine large windows, three smaller ones, and two doorways. These carvings show family symbols and other artistic sculptures. Inside, the rooms are quite small because a large fireplace and chimney block are in the middle of the building. The kitchens and other service rooms were on the ground floor, while the rooms on the first and higher floors were likely private apartments.

Nature Reserve

Caerlaverock Castle is located within the Nith Estuary National Scenic Area, which is protected for its beautiful views. The castle is a famous landmark in this area.

The castle is also on the northern edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. This reserve covers about 55 square kilometers (21 square miles) and includes saltmarsh, mudflats, and grazing land. It's a very important place for waterfowl and wading birds that spend the winter there, especially the barnacle goose.