Animal, Nature, and Travel: Newark Castle in Port Glasgow, Scotland Part 2 of 3

Photos of Newark Castle in Port Glasgow, Scotland - Part 2 of 3 - taken in June of 2019

Photos of Newark Castle in Port Glasgow, Scotland - Part 2 of 3

Here is the second set of photos of Newark Castle in Scotland: My two best friends and I visited this castle in June of 2019.

Let's continue with the Bedchamber photos:

"Bed-Chamber:
Originally screened off from the gallery, with its own fireplace and closet in the turret."

This is the view from this particular Bed-Chamber:

This is the inside of the Bed-Chamber:

Now, we are in one of the hallways:

Here is another alcove:

The House of the Maxwells:

"The land on which Newark Castle is built originally belonged to the Denniston family
and became part of the Maxwell estate when Elizabeth Denniston
married Sir Robert Maxwell in 1402.
The castle was built by a descendant,
probably George Maxwell, in the later 15th century."

"Above: The first castle looked very different from the present one.
It consisted of a tall towerhouse (containing the lord's main accommodation),
a well-defended gatehouse and a substantial surrounding wall
enclosing a spacious courtyard, called a 'barmkin'.
Within this barmkin were other buildings, including probably a banqueting hall,
a kitchen block, stables and other accommodation for the household and visitors.
This was the castle in which James IV stayed in 1495
on his way to put down disturbances in the Western Isles."

"Inset: Plans of the castle at ground and first-floor levels.
The area colored blue show those parts that survive from the first castle."

"Centre: A gun-loop shaped like a dumb-bell -
one of three on the ground floor of the gatehouse.
By the time Newark Castle was being built,
the new-fangled guns were beginning to replace
traditional weapons like the cross-bow and long-bow."

The Gallery and Main Bedchambers:

"Much of the top floor of Patrick Maxwell's new mansion
was taken up by a single long room, known as a gallery.
Rooms of this type were becoming fashionable in the later 16th century
as indoor space where people would promenade.
It also became customary for people to hang pictures in them,
hence the development of the modern picture 'gallery'."

The gallery would have been sparsely furnished,
and since it was a place for moving about in rather than standing still,
it had only two small fireplaces at either end.
As well as the gallery there were two bedchambers on this floor.
These may have been the main bedchambers for Patrick Maxwell and his family.
Each had its own fireplace and a wall-chamber housing a toilet closet.
The modern partitions reflect the probable use of the bedchambers.
Some of the servants slept in rooms squeezed into the attics.
If you look carefully you can spot a fireplace
and a cupboard in the roof space."

The Castle Rebuilt:

"Patrick Maxwell completely rebuilt the medieval castle in the 1590s
and transformed it into the splendid Renaissance mansion you see today.
Like many of his contemporaries, he was a cultured and enlightened rascal.
On one hand he was a pillar of society, a Justice of the Peace,
friend of King James VI and a builder of a fine house;
on the other hand he was a murderer and wife-beater
who managed to avoid punishment."

"Above: Patrick Maxwell's new mansion saw the downgrading
of the old towerhouse and gatehouse to ancillary accommodation
and the building of a new range between the two
(probably on the site of the old banqueting hall).
This new building became the main part of the castle,
with the kitchen and storage cellars at ground level,
a spacious hall or dining room here on the first floor
and the main bed-chambers and picture gallery on the top floor."

"Inset: Plans of the castle at ground and first floor levels.
The areas colored red show the new accommodations
provided for Patrick Maxwell in the 1590s."

"Centre: The initials of Patrick Maxwell and his lady, Margaret Crawford,
carved at various locations on the outside of the castle."

After the Maxwells:

"In 1668 George Maxwell sold some acres of land around his castle
to the burgesses of Glasgow to allow them to erect a port for handling Glasgow trade.
(Previous attempts to cut a channel through the sand banks in the Clyde
to the east of the castle had failed.)
The harbour area was named 'Newport Glasgow' (now Port Glasgow)."

"The once extensive castle grounds were gradually developed for the growing port
and associated industries, principally ship-building.
When Patrick Maxwell died in 1694 the castle and what remained of the grounds
were sold off and the place ceased to be a residence of gentry.
A succession of tenants now lived in the castle and the grounds
were rented out to market gardeners.
One of these is reputed to have stored apples in this hall.
In the early 19th century John Orr, a rope-spinner,lived and worked here.
He also traded in wild animals which he bought
from the ships coming into the harbour."

NOTE: The tour guides explained that it became quite fashionable for the upper-crust of society to own an exotic animal such as big cats or bears.

Here are some other areas of the castle:

The Kitchen:

"The kitchen, through the serving hatch on the left, was built in the 1590s.
Here food was prepared and cooked for eating in the new dining hall on the floor above.
The main feature was a large fireplace, big enough to house a roasting spit.
An aumbry, or wall-cupboard, at the back left of the fireplace,
held a salt container where this important preservative was kept dry.
In the right corner was the bread oven."

"Above the fire, in the chimney flue there was probably a smoking board
where fish and meat were cured.
In the far corner is a water channel and drain.
Servants poured fresh water down the stone channel from rainwater barrels,
any waste was flushed down through the lower slop drain."

Here are some views of the kitchen:

"Salt Box:
Salt, an important preservative before refrigeration
was stored in this cupboard where it kept dry in the fire."

"Fresh-Water Inlet and Slop-Drain Beneath"

My two best friends, Maddie Marchant and Carrie Marchant, standing outside the kitchen looking in.

Maddy on left - Carrie on right

Maddy in doorway down the hall. She is a few inches taller than I am. Therefore, warning: If you are on the tall side, you better duck your head. LOL!