The Bridges of Chatelherault, Chatelherault, Hamilton
What are you likely to find dotted along any river? Well, apart from gorgeous scenery, fertile land, and spectacular biodiversity, there will almost always be bridges. For centuries, humans have been erecting wooden, metal, stone and concrete structures over our nation's rivers to enable pedestrians, vehicles, bikes, and, in the past, horses and carts to traverse the landscape more easily. Given its long history and modern-day appeal, Chatelherault contains its fair share over Avon Water.
Duke's Bridge
View of Duke's Bridge from the river below. [1]
Duke's Bridge was commissioned by the Alexander William Archibald Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, dating it to between 1852 and 1863. One reference (British Listed Buildings) states it was erected in 1863, which fits with these dates. It stands approximately 24.38 meters (80 feet) above the river, spanning Avon Water. It has been a Category B listed building since 1971.
The view from the bridge of the river and gorge below.
Duke's Bridge is just after the visitor's center (the former hunting lodge) and on the other side is Cadzow Castle, with Cadzow Oaks and Earthworks a short walk away. It forms part of all of the trails through the park, and so if you're visiting you're certain to see it. The architecture of the bridge is rather impressive, but perhaps not worth visiting for that alone (but with plenty of other great sights to see, Chatelherault definitely is).
Green Bridge
The view from Green Bridge, with Avon Water rushing past.
Two of Chatelherault's trails follow the course of Avon Water to specific bridges - Green Bridge and White Bridge. The Green Bridge trail is the longest at 8 km. The bridge itself is rather simple - a wooden structure which spans the river with concrete supports at either end and in the middle. It appears relatively modern, possibly constructed when the area became a Site of Special Scientific Interest to encourage visitors.
The approach to Green Bridge, from the western side of the river.
White Bridge
White Bridge in 1987. [2]
As mentioned in a previous article, the trail to White Bridge is currently closed due to a landslip (I believe it occurred in 2010, with graffiti observed on one of the signs dated July 2017 indicating it had been closed 7 years). The wooden bridge which exists now appears to be of recent construction, with the older concrete supports probably belonging to the older original bridge which was once used to transport coal from the nearby colliery.
White Bridge in 2016, in a state of disrepair. Despite being closed, some visitors continue to use the trail. [3]
Avon Viaduct
Part of the railway line between Hamilton and Larkhall crosses through Chatelherault and a viaduct carries this line over the river. The line was opened originally in 1860 by the Caledonian Railway and subsequently closed in the 1960s as part of the Beeching cuts before reopening in 2005. The bridge was likely constructed around 1859 or 1860, but work may have started even earlier depending on how long the rest of the line took to complete.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any freely reusable images to include in this article, and I have yet to visit the part of the park where the viaduct is located but check back later for an update. If you'd like to see the bridge, search Google for "Hamilton Avon Viaduct" (there are a few other Avon Viaducts dotted around the country, notably one near Linlithgow).
Others
A stone bridge over a stream in Divoty Glen.
Several other less notable bridges exist around Chatelherault, such as the one pictured above. These are mostly simple stone and wooden structures but some have history behind them, such as being used by the colliery to transport coal and forming part of the hunting routes. Keep an eye out for them while you're visiting.
Bibliography
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. Hamilton, Duke's Bridge (180955). Canmore. Historic Environment Scotland.
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture. Chatelherault estate. South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture.
Cadzow Oaks and Earthworks are two separate aspects of Chatelherault - the oaks can be found dotted across the park, but many specimens can be viewed alongside the Earthworks. Both are ancient, the oaks almost 800 years old and the earthworks dating back to at least the 12th-century, and even a Roman artifact has been found on the site. Cadzow Oaks Oak trees can be found at various points throughout Chatelherault Country Trees, specifically common oaks ( Quercus robur ). Dendrochronology has dated the trees to the 15th-century, making them between 700 and 800 years old and therefore some of the oldest living trees in Scotland. One of the oaks found next to Cadzow Earthworks. The best place to see these majestic centuries-old oaks is at the site of the Cadzow Earthworks - this is relatively close to the Chatelherault visitor center and Cadzow Castle, meaning even if you aren't able to explore the entire country park you can still see a number of interesting sites. A 19th
Overlooking the impressive Avon Gorge in Chatelherault Country Park, Cadzow Castle is a now ruined structure originally constructed between 1500 and 1550 on the site of a former castle dating back to the 12th-century. The current castle was built by the same architect as Craignethan Castle, Sir James Hamilton of Finnart, a Scottish nobleman who had been appointed as Steward of the Royal Household and Master of Work to King James V. Cadzow Castle overlooking Avon Gorge, as seen from Duke's Bridge. [1] Today, little of the castle remains visible to the public. In its ruined state, the castle presents many dangers to visitors and so a tall grey metal fence has been erected around the structure, with a locked gate preventing access. The ruins themselves, which are owned and conserved by Historic Environment Scotland, are mostly supported by scaffolding which further obscures the ability to view the castle. A sign placed by Historic Scotland (the predecessor to Historic Envi
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