Lauchope House and Tower

Spooky Remnants of Lauchope House

I walk my dog here most days and had no idea of its Historical Importance until I started researching Chatelherault and Hamilton Palace for a Garden History Project..... And yes it is as spooky as it looks. *Clears throat*

A once Grand Avenue

Take yourself back to 1570, Mary Queen of Scots has just been forced to abdicate her throne for the alleged Murder of  her (rather rubbish) husband, Lord Darnley.  You may think I am being a tad flippant about the killing of her significant other here, but remember this was at a time when Henry VIII decapitated just about everyone he snogged so, there's a distinct whiff of one rule for him, another rule for her!

I would also add that many history scholars believe she was set up, so I have no beef with "The Unfortunate Mary." (below)

Mary Stuart Queen - Unknown

Her "illegitimate half brother" (these days he would be marched straight to Jeremy Kyle for a DNA Test) seized control of Scotland, styling himself as The Regent Murray (Moray.)  I think its fair to say the Regent Moray (pictured below) was no friend of Scotland, many Battles ensued as Scotland fought to free herself from his damaging influence.  The Regent Moray was shot In Linlithgow on the 23rd January and died from his injuries.

James Stuart, Regent Moray - Unknown

At this point I will introduce Cadzow Castle and Walter Scott (bear with me i'm setting the scene)

"The ruins of Cadyow or Cadzow Castle, the ancient baronial residence of the family of Hamilton are situated on the precipitous banks of the river Evan (Avon).  It was dismantled, in the conclusion of the Civil Wars, during the reign of the unfortunate Mary, to whose cause the House of Hamilton devoted themselves, with generous zeal, which occasioned their temporary obscurity and very nearly,  their total ruin."

In detailing the death of the Regent Murray

"Whose cheek is pale, whose eyeballs glare,

As one some vision'd sight that saw,

Whose hands are bloody, loose his hair?

T'is he, T'is he, T'is Bothwellhaugh..

Then speed thee noble Chatelherault! 

Spread to the wind thy banner'd tree! 

Each warrior bend his Clydesdale bow, 

Murray is fall'n and Scotland free" 

Walter Scott, The  Ballad of Cadzow Castle

Hamilton of Bothwellahugh - by G Cattermole

 Following James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh's assassination of the Regent Moray, he spent his last night in Scotland at Lauchope, before escaping to France under the patronage of the family of Guise.

Lauchope and all the Family Papers were burned in retaliation.  James Muirhead of Lauchope was James Hamilton's brother in law, and was subsequently imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle for his part in Bothwellhaugh's escape.

Pont's sketch of the Area 1596

Pont's sketch of the area in 1596 (shown above) indicates 5 stories by the window count. Showing that the tower was of a very significant size. (Image and information courtesy of Gordon Mason)

Bleau's Atlas showing Lauchope in 1654

Bleau's Atlas (above) shows the area of Lauchope in 1654.  The building is highlighted in Bold Red to show its importance. (Image and information courtesy of Gordon Mason)

The atmosphere here is incredible, proper spooky, nature has reclaimed everything.  You can still see the outline of the old house and Tower. Various walls still stand, Other parts are demolished, the stones lie where they fell.   A dark green carpet of ivy covers everything.  Spring bulbs serve as reminder that it was once a family home.  Large imposing beech trees form what was once the Grand Avenue.  The stones that litter the ground from the old tower are enormous, you'd need to be Geoff Capes to even think of moving them.

I was sad to learn that the site is not protected, and from what i ascertain, as it is listed as demolished there is nothing to protect?  See Canmore list schedule https://canmore.org.uk/site/45791/lauchope-house

The M8 slip roads are coming perilously close and I worry about the future of this site.  Contractors have already been in and removed trees. (above)

Its not been particularly easy to find information on the site.  Scottish Lowland history is woefully recorded.   (The winners get to write the history books) and everyday we are losing too many of our sites of historical importance in Lanarkshire.  (See Lost Houses of the Clyde Valley facebook page for details)

  

Its important to preserve and tell the stories of what we have left.

What about giving this place a purpose, make it safe, secure the site, get it scheduled as an ancient historical monument, get some treework done, put some historical interpretation up, open this fascinating, atmospheric, historical space up to the public.  Get it added to the Walter Scott Trail.  Make it a space the community can have pride in.

 It is teaming with wildlife, bats, birds, bees, terrestrial orchids, large eagley type bird of prey (I'm no twitcher) It would make valuable community wildlife and history education space that Chapelhall so desperately needs.

This entry from The Castles of Glasgow and The Clyde by Gordon Mason, second edition, 2013, Written, Published and Printed In Scotland, gives record of some of the fascinating history of the site

 LAUCHOPE HOUSE
North Lanarkshire
Ruin or site, OS64 NS781617
3.5 miles north east of Motherwell, off minor roads, north of A8 and south of B799, south of Chapelhall and south east of Lauchope Mains.
Site of a strong tower house of the Muirheads which was later incorporated into a mansion, now demolished. Lauchope appears on Pont’s manuscript map of c1596 as a particularly large and important tower house of two blocks within a courtyard and an enclosed park. The tower is said to have had very thick walls.
The name ‘Chappel’ is dominant on Bleau’s Atlas Novus of 1654, but the name ‘Lauchob’ also appears. The chapel in question was ancient and dedicated to St Larsach. It was ruined by the 18th century but had become the burial place of the family. Although in modern times this area is included within Monklands, it was part of the vast parish and barony of Bothwell, though became part of Bertram Shotts when the parish was divided just after the Reformation.
In the reign of David II, Thomas de Moravia granted a charter of Over and Nether Lauchope to William Balyston. By the end of the 14th century the Muirheads were in possession. In 1393 a William Muirhead was knighted by Robert III and as Sir William Muirhead of Lauchope appeared as a charter witness in 1401.
This first Muirhead of Lauchope was renowned as a hero nation-wide, if the legend of the notorious robber baron Bertram of Shotts is to be believed. Bertram was a giant amongst men, deemed capable of fighting a dozen men at once, and winning! The crown was so concerned by his piratical antics that they offered a substantial reward for his removal. Muirhead was their man. Dumping a cartload of heather close by a well that the giant was known to use, Muirhead lay in wait for his victim. Sure enough Bertram came to drink, and after examining the curious pile, he bent over to sup from the well. Muirhead emerged from below the heather and struck the giant a fatal blow to the head with his sword. The story continues that Robert II was so grateful that Muirhead was granted the Lauchope lands as a result. This same hero supposedly died at Flodden, 140 years later. The existence of a Bertram of Shotts has never been shown in fact, though the legend warranted a mention in Sir Walter Scott’s epic ‘The Ballad of the Battle of Flodden Field’. Other versions of the story place events in the reign of James IV.
There is another legend that John Muirhead, a younger son of Muirhead of Lauchope, became known as Stark after saving James III from an attack by a wild bull. He is said to have been granted lands and become the progenitor of the Starks of Auchinvole. James Muirhead of Lauchope is said to have died at The Battle of Flodden in 1513 whilst serving in the bodyguard of James IV.
The tower gave refuge to Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh in 1570, after his assassination of the Regent Moray in Linlithgow. Lauchope was burned by English dragoons in response and the family papers destroyed. James Muirhead of Lauchope was Hamilton’s brother-in-law and was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle in the aftermath. In 1679 another James Muirhead and his brother John fought at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge for the Covenanters. Captured and tried, they refused to pledge allegiance to Charles II and were banished to the English colonies in America in 1685.
There is mention of a long running feud between the Muirheads of Lauchope and the Clelands of that Ilk. The Muirheads died out in 1738 and the estate passed to a cadet branch, the Muirheads of Bredisholm. The property came into the possession of a branch of the Robertons of Earnock before 1816 and they are credited with building the mansion in 1839. This family were still in possession when the house was demolished in 1956.

Lauchope House in the 19th Century

Above image provided by Chrstine Wallace, courtesy of https://robertongenealogy.wordpress.com/2010/06/06/lauchope-house/

Many thanks to Members of the Lost Houses of the Clyde Valley group, without whom I could not have pulled this information together