Culzean Castle Before Robert Adam: a Sketchy Understanding
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Culzean Castle before Robert Adam: A sketchy understanding Fig. 1. Culzean Castle from north: a drone view showing approximate viewpoints of the three sketches reproduced in Figs 2-4, June 2017 (Copyright National Trust for Scotland). Culzean Castle before Robert Adam: estate of Culzean, comprising 228 hectares, A sketchy understanding was given to the NTS in 1945.² The castle still Derek Alexander (National Trust for Scotland) forms the focal point for the entire country Culzean Castle is best known as Robert park and it is easy to see why - Robert Adam’s Adam’s cliff-top romantic masterpiece. The late 18th century picturesque creation has image of the castle – really the 18th and 19th certainly made the most of the dramatic century country house – adorns Scottish setting. It was, however, precisely this same banknotes, postcards and has recently made landscape that made it an excellent defensive it on to the ‘Mayfair’ spot of the Ayrshire site and ideal for the construction of a version of Monopoly! The picturesque view medieval castle. The headland is defended by from the folly or ruined arch gateway, looking cliffs on the north-west and around its north- along the viaduct approach over the terraced eastern end, while the south-eastern side was walled gardens, is well-known. Perhaps less protected by a natural hollow. This hollow well-known is the fact that the old tower was originally deeper than it appears today; house is partly encased within the late 18th it was infilled in the 17th century to create a century structure. walled garden and then raised again in the The understanding of the history of the 19th century to form the Fountain Court. Kennedy family at Culzean, and especially the Perhaps the easiest approach to the site may transformation of the estate by Robert Adam, have been from the south-west. is covered in detail in Michael Moss’s book While defended both from the land and the and in the research work of former National sea, there were still good beaching points for Trust for Scotland (NTS) employee, Debbie boats at the north-eastern end at Gas House Jackson.¹ The core of the Kennedy family Bay or at the south-western end at Culzean THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 57 JOURNAL NO. 34 Culzean Castle before Robert Adam: A sketchy understanding Harbour, although, due to outlying rocky to his younger brother, Thomas Kennedy of outcrops offshore, any approach by boat Colean, in 1569. The original site of Colean was would have to have been done carefully. But inland from Turnberry, further south, but when perhaps the most important factor in the Thomas was granted what was previously choice of the headland for a settlement was known as Coif Castle or the House of Cove, it the presence of two sets of caves at the foot began to be referred to as Collean or Culzean.⁶ of the cliff. These caves are known as the This is most clearly seen on Gordon’s 1650s Culzean Coves – the Castle Cave and the map of Ayrshire where both are marked, one Stables Cave – and it was these features that as ‘Koif C[astle].’ the other as ‘Cuillien’.⁷ It was gave their name to the medieval castle above. probably this Sir Thomas Kennedy who was Before it became Culzean, the site was known responsible for the construction of the L-plan as Coif or Coffe Castle – both of which are Old tower house, of which more anon. English versions of the name for ‘cave’. It is Given the defensive nature of the site, it is likely likely that the name is of late 7th century date to have been used as a castle long before the and is one of a number, including nearby mid-16th century, and indeed the Kennedy Maybole and Turnberry, that relate to the family can trace their ancestry back to the 1100s. Northumbrian expansion into South-West Unfortunately, there are no structural remains Scotland.³ It is interesting that archaeological on the cliff top that have been dated to this investigations in the Castle Cave recovered period. However, excavation of trial trenches disarticulated human skeletal remains, one of across a wide circular enclosure ditch in a field which provided a radiocarbon date in the at High Whitestone, 1km east of the castle on 8th-9th century AD.⁴ the east of the Glenside Burn, was found to date Excavation in the Castle Cave has also dated to 1290 –1410 AD (SUERC-33081), a date which a midden deposit to 135-325 cal AD (SUERC- is also supported by a small assemblage of 78964) in the Roman Iron Age, and there is 13th-14th century cooking pots. Until large- also evidence from the top of the cliff that the scale excavation is carried out on the cliff top headland the castle sits on was also occupied at Culzean, however, our understanding of at this time. Excavation of a small trench at even the later medieval occupation of the site the north-eastern end of the promontory, in has to rely largely on informed guesswork. We the Gazebo Courtyard, uncovered the know that so much of the castle and the hilltop foundations of a wall, built of large rounded was dramatically changed during the building boulders with courses of flat stone in works of the late 18th century,⁸ but, as a between. This wall had collapsed onto a layer preliminary contribution towards improving of animal bones, some of which were our understanding of the earlier castle layout, identified as red deer, one of which produced this paper uses the limited drawn record, in the a radiocarbon date of 40BC – 130AD (SUERC- form of sketches of the castle and a 1755 estate 10771). It is clear, therefore, that Culzean plan. Castle was preceded by an Iron Age defended Sketches of the pre-Adam castle site, perhaps a possible fort similar to what The partial outline of the old tower at Culzean still survives on the Heads of Ayr or can be seen in Robert Adam’s plan of the Drumadoon Point, Arran, today.⁵ castle where it is discernible in the core of the The name Culzean only came to the site when house.⁹ Both the interior and exterior of the it was granted by Gilbert, 4th Earl of Cassillis, house were so altered during the renovation THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 58 JOURNAL NO. 34 Culzean Castle before Robert Adam: A sketchy understanding Fig. 2. (Sketch 1) Culzean Castle from south-west, probably by Robert Adam, 1776 (Reproduced with the kind permission of Sir John Soane Museum, London) works in the 1770-90s, however, that the only Maid’s walk. The location of the artist appears part of it that it remains clearly evident is the to be above the sea and perhaps close to the thick wall between the armoury and the position of the timber Mast House, at the drawing room on the ground floor. south-west end of the Battery, as the south- Thankfully, there are a number of sketches eastern face of the main tower is visible. This dating from before Robert Adam’s work that path leads to a doorway (B), a postern or show the tower house from a variety of angles sea-gate in a straight section of curtain wall. which help with understanding the mid-18th This wall and the angular wall that is located century (and presumably earlier) layout of the to the south-west of it appears to have a castle. These sketches are drawn from the slightly crenellated wallhead. The difference south-west, the east and the north-east.¹⁰ in height and the vertical line in the middle of Examining each sketch in turn provides a 270° the latter section of wall could indicate a panorama around the castle in an anti- bastion (C), set at an angle to the tower; there clockwise direction, with only a view from the is certainly no indication of a roof-line or north-west, that is from the sea, missing. chimneys at this point that would indicate a building. At the external angle of the bastion, Sketch 1 (Fig. 2)¹¹ outside the barmkin wall, there is a small This drawing from the south-west, which is roofed structure (D), aligned north-south, thought to have been drawn by Robert Adam with a single window in its gable. There is a himself and is part of the collection of his smaller lean-to building (E) at the foot and papers held in the Sir John Soane Museum, against the south-east side of the exterior of shows a pathway leading up from where the the angled bastion, which has an opening, Dolphin House now is and follows the line of possibly a door, in its south-west gable. the overgrown path (A) known as Laundry Beyond this is a structure, perhaps the end THE CASTLE STUDIES GROUP 59 JOURNAL NO. 34 Culzean Castle before Robert Adam: A sketchy understanding view of tower (F) with at least two levels, terraced garden that lay downslope. Above divided by a possible string course, and these trees the gentle pitch of the pedimented topped with a crow-stepped gable. At the roof (J) of the gatehouse into the farm court inside edge (on the north-west side) of this can be seen. This building would later be building there appears to be a chimney stack. topped with a castellated parapet by Robert Inside the barmkin enclosure the main tower Adam to form the clock-tower, but the line of block (G) is aligned south-west to north-east, the old pediment can still be seen its north- and has three rows of windows on the south- eastern façade.