Description

The monument comprises the remains of a medieval park pale, surviving in two parts as substantial earthworks and as buried archaeology, together with an area which would have contained an associated ditch.

This earthwork has been identified as part of the medieval park pale attached to Cadzow Castle. The bank extends between two streams and cuts off an area of high ground in an angle of the Avon Water. It is now chiefly visible within the woods at its W extremity, although until the 1950s its line could be followed through improved fields marked by a line of trees, up to its surviving SE end. On average it survives to about 5m wide and 0.7m in maximum height.

The Park of Cadzow was acquired by James, first Lord Roslin in 1445. In this context, a park was an enclosed game reserve surrounded by a ditch and bank, on top of which was a palisade. It is possible that the park was originally associated with the royal castle at Cadzow motte. It is also possible that an earthwork at the SE end of the pale may be identified with a parker's lodge or hunthall, also associated with the reserve.

The area proposed for scheduling comprises the remains described and the area to either side that is likely to have contained an associated ditch. The NW linear area is 225m NW-SE in length by 25m in width, while the smaller SE part is 41m N-S by 22m in width, as marked in red on the accompanying map. The modern fences are excluded from the scheduling.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as the partially preserved remains of a documented medieval park pale, possibly associated with both the royal castle at Cadzow motte, and the later medieval Cadzow Castle. The earthwork has the potential to contain data on the development and practice of the infrastructure associated with lordly hunting. Furthermore the site has the potential to provide archaeological data related to farming and landuse in medieval and earlier times.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

RCAHMS records the monument as NS75SW3.

References:

Anderson M L (1967) A HISTORY OF SCOTTISH FORESTRY, 2v, Edinburgh, Vol. 1, 235.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland