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Caerlaverock
Castle
Picture
ref CC1
In
1220 an estate was granted to Sir John De
Maccuswell at Caerlaverock . It became the
principal seat of the Maxwell family for 400 years.
Sir John started to build a castle but soon found
the site unsuitable , perhaps because of the nearby
salt marshes of the Solway Firth . Little is now
left of this castle.
About
50 years later a new castle was built 200 metres to
the north. At this time the Maxwells were Sheriffs
of Teviotdale and Dumfries and Sir John and his
brother Aymer were Chamberlains of Scotland
.
In
1296 Edward I invaded Scotland at the start of
the
Wars of
Independence
and the Maxwells were caught up in the conflict .
In 1300 Edward entered Galloway and laid siege to
the castle with 87 knights and 3000 men . This
became one of the best known incidents of the war
because because an English soldier kept a detailed
account of it .
"
Caerlaverock was so strong a castle that it feared
no siege before the King came there ..... In shape
it was like a shield , for it had but three sides
round it , with atower at each corner , but one of
them was a double one , so high , so long and so
wide that the gate was underneath it , well made
and strong , with a drawbridge and a sufficiency of
other defences . "
Siege engines were summoned from
Lochmaben,Carlisle, Roxburgh ,Jedburgh and
Skinburness . The siege did not last long and Lord
Maxwell's garrison of just 60 men surrendered. Some
were hanged and the rest set free .
More
information and another Caerlaverock Castle
picture
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