Site Report

WoSASPIN 8890
NS56SW 4 5255 6272.

(NS 5255 6272) Crookston Castle (NR)
(remains of)
OS 6" map (1969)

Two major periods are represented at this site; there are the earthworks of the late 12th century castle of Robert Croc (c/f NS56SE 32 and 33, NS46SE 3) within which are the substantial remains of an early 15th century tower of unusual type. This became disused by the end of the 16th century. Talbot carried out excavations for the DoE in 1973-4. A building, about 15m x 8m, the foundations of which were visible at the E end of the enclosure was traditionally said to be the private chapel, known to have been built within his precincts by Robert Croc about 1180. Clearance of the area revealed a building of some importance, with a hearth in the S wall.
Scarping of the slope around the 15th century tower may suggest that a motte was once present. Excavation N of the castle showed that this scarping was due to stone debris, not an earthen mound. Possibly a barmkin wall was associated with the stone castle. No defence features were located on the shoulder of the slope to the ditch but on the counterscarp bank the top was found to be covered by cobbling, as was an area lower down towards the ditch, giving a stepped effect. Other excavations were carried out by Talbot within the stone castle and around its towers.
W D Simpson 1953; E J Talbot 1973; 1974; S Piggott and W D Simpson 1970

In 1975, an area was opened up N of the entrance, within the defences. A stone building was uncovered at right angles to the entrance gap. It was set upon the slighted bank of the 12th century ringwork; this bank had been very carefully levelled (probably in the early 15th century when the tower house was constructed) to create a flat platform into which foundations had been cut. It was impossible to date or interpret the use to which this building had been put. Other indications of walling within the area investigated seemed to indicate a use for farm purposes.
To further investigate the possible barmkin wall, a cut was made completely through the scarp at its NW corner. This revealed no evidence for a wall returning on the W side of the scarp but the great depth of rubble encountered would seem to suggest a great amount of collapse and robbing. Beneath the rubble, a horizontal layer of occupation (no dating evidence from it) indicated that the tower house must stand upon a pronounced knob of boulder clay.
E J Talbot 1975.

A geophysical and topographical survey of the site was carried out in 1998-1999 by D Maguire. No trace of a motte was found, indicating a simpler ringed defence work. It is suggested that the structure excavated by Talbot is the chapel founded by Robert Croc in 1180. A circular enclosure, c.20m in diameter with internal sturctures of some type, was discovered below the surface outside the present limits of the castle. This enclosure is likely to pre-date the 12th century castle.
D Maguire 1999

NS 524 628 A geophysical and topographic survey was undertaken at Crookston Castle (NMRS NS 56 SW 4) in October 1998 and November 1999. The object of the survey was to determine the extent of any remains that may lie below the surface of the bailey and the surrounding area.
The survey was carried out in two phases over two years, the first phase consisting of a preliminary resistivity survey, in the light of which the survey was extended in November 1999 to encompass the whole bailey and the area to the E of the present castle.
The survey has brought to light new evidence for the location of the lost chapel, built by Sir Robert Croc in the late 12th century, within the bailey or courtyard of the castle. Coupled with this, it shows that the original 12th-century castle was not of a motte and bailey type as previously suggested, but was instead a ringed defence work.
Outside the present limits of the castle a circular enclosure has also been discovered below the surface; this suggests continuity of settlement prior to the 12th century. The circular enclosure is c 20m in diameter, with internal structures of some type, situated on the summit of the hill. It looks not unlike the small Iron Age duns with outworks observed in Argyll, but the Crookston walls are only about 1m thick, and may be a Dark Age ring work or fortified settlement.
Rig and furrow marks are apparent on both the N and S sides of the hill, indicating agricultural use, possibly once the castle went out of use in the 16th century or later.
Copies of the report have been lodged with Historic Scotland.
Sponsor:University of Glasgow.
D M Maguire 2000
Report date for above text from NMRS 18/08/2003

NS5264 6275 - During construction work at the adjacent school, the contractor has dumped spoil material all along the riverbanks for quite an extensive area in the vicinity of this grid reference. There is old run-rig acid grassland on the slopes by the castle, and this extended down the slope but has been obliterated by dumping.
Watson, K., 20/12/06
Entered WoSAS (MO'H) 23/11/2007

Robert de Croc built the first recorded castle on the site In the late twelfth century. His ring-work' consisted of a deep ditch with an inner bank surrounding a group of timber structures. In 1330 the estate passed to the Stewarts of Darnley. In the fifteenth century they built a massive stone tower to replace the earlier timber castle. This originally had four towers, each adjoining a corner of the central oblong block. In 1489 John Stewart unwisely took part in a rebellion against James IV. King James bombarded Crookston Castle, destroying two of the towers and part of the central block.

According to tradition, he brought the great cannon Mons Meg from Edinburgh for the purpose. The Stewarts continued to occupy the castle, however, and the Regent Arran and Cardinal Beaton besieged it in 1544. It was finally abandoned in the late sixteenth century.

Tradition says that Lord Darnley and Mary, Queen of Scots, were betrothed beneath an ancient yew tree here. The tree was felled in 1816 and the wood carved into a model of Crookston Castle, now on display at Pollok House.

You approach the castle across Robert de Croc's impressive ditch. The castle includes a barrel-vaulted cellar with the now roofless Great Hall above it. The north-east tower is complete, wrth its grim pit-dungeon, a prison at first-floor level, and three further storeys connected by iron ladders. The climb is worth the effort, as the view from the top is spectacular, from the Eaglesham moorlands to the south to the Cobbler in the north-west and Ben Ledi in Perthshire. The
parapet may have been added for Queen Victoria's visit to Glasgow in 1847.

Eric Talbot excavated the site in 1973-4 and found traces of the Crocs' family chapel, a twelfth-century timber building. A detalled survey in 1998-9 confirmed its position. The survey also identified a circular enclosure 20m in diameter on the summit of the hill, possibly a late Iron Age fortification. The finds from the excavation are in the University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum and Historic Scotland's store.
Hothersall, S., 'Archaeology Around Glasgow: 50 remarkable sites to visit', Glasgow Museums (2007)