Haggs Castle facts for kids

Haggs Castle

Haggs Castle is an old building from the 1500s. It's a type of strong house called a tower house. You can find it in Pollokshields, a part of Glasgow, Scotland. This castle has beautiful decorations and was fixed up a long time ago. Today, people live in it again!

A Look Back in Time

Building a New Home

A special stone above the door at Haggs Castle tells us it was built in 1585. Sir John Maxwell of Pollok and his wife, Margaret Conyngham, had it built. It was meant to be their main home, replacing an older castle from the 1300s called Laigh Castle.

Sometimes, after the main family moved out, the castle was used as a dower house. This means it was a home for the lord's widow. The Maxwell family were Covenanters, a group who believed in certain religious freedoms. They were fined for their beliefs. However, a big change in government in 1688, called the Glorious Revolution, meant they didn't have to pay.

Changing Uses Over Time

In 1753, the Maxwell family built a new, grander home called Pollok House. Haggs Castle was then left empty for a while. The basement of the castle was even used as a place where blacksmiths worked!

Later, in the 1800s, people started to fix up the castle. In the 1860s, it was restored for the Maxwell family's manager. More repairs and new parts were added around 1899-1900 by Sir John Stirling-Maxwell.

From Military to Museum to Home

During World War II, in 1943, the military took over the castle. After the war, it was divided into several small apartments.

In 1972, the Glasgow Corporation bought Haggs Castle. They turned it into the Museum of Childhood, a fun place for kids to learn about toys and games from the past. But in 1998, the museum closed. Since then, Haggs Castle has become a private home once more.

Castle Design

Haggs Castle is an L-plan tower, which means it's shaped like the letter 'L' when you look down from above. It has four floors. The main part of the castle is about 17 meters long and 7.2 meters wide.

Inside the Castle

On the ground floor, there were two rooms and a kitchen with a very large fireplace. The main staircase led up to the first floor. Here, you would find a private room behind the main hall. Smaller stairs, supported by stone brackets called corbels, led to the upper floors. There was even a small room on top of the stair tower called a cap-house.

Special Features

The castle had special openings called gun loops. These were small holes, some square and some round, that allowed people inside to fire weapons if needed.

One of the most interesting things about Haggs Castle is its beautiful stone carvings. These include rope-like designs, decorative corbels, and a special carving above the main door.

How It Changed

Over the years, the castle was changed quite a bit. In the 1800s, the top parts of the walls were rebuilt. Larger windows were added, and the stair wing was also rebuilt. A new entrance and staircase were added to the south side, and a new section was built to the north.

Images for kids

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  Haggs Castle (1843) by Alexander Duff Robertson, in ink and watercolour