Zamek Blackness, Scottish guides, Historic Investigations
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Known from its shape as
‘the ship that never sailed’,
Blackness Castle
has patrolled
this corner of the Forth since
the 15th century.
INVESTIGATING
BLACKNESS CASTLE
Information for Teachers
INVESTIGATING
HISTORIC SITES
BLACKNESS CASTLE
2
Timeline
c1440s
Blackness Castle
built by Sir George
Crichton on site of earlier
castle
1453
Castle annexed by
James II
1536
Major rebuilding
and strengthening of
castle; central tower
converted into secure
prison
1543
Cardinal Beaton
held for a month
1650
Castle besieged
and taken by Cromwell’s
troops
1693
Spur tower raised
and given upper gun
battery; North Tower
reduced in height
1707
Castle becomes
garrison rather than
state prison; adapted for
barrack use
1759-1815
Castle used as
transit camp for French
prisoners of war
1870
Castle becomes
new central ammunition
depot; altered
accordingly
1918
Castle abandoned
as military depot
1926-35
Victorian
additions removed
Known from its shape as ‘the
ship that never sailed’, Blackness
Castle has patrolled this corner of
the Forth since the 15th century.
Famous for its range of prisons, the
castle is an evocative and exciting
place for a ield trip.
and Scotland. The more vulnerable
landward walls were raised and
strengthened to an incredible 5.5
metres thick and the tops of the walls
reinforced to allow cannons to be
mounted on top of them. When Mary
Queen of Scots was born in 1542, it was
planned for some time that she might
be kept safe here during the ‘Wars of
the Rough Wooing’. Although the infant
Mary never did come here, following her
abdication in 1567 and the subsequent
civil war in Scotland, the garrison at
Blackness remained loyal to Mary,
causing chaos to shipping in the Forth.
Historical background
Unlike many castles in Scotland,
Blackness was for most of its life the
property of the Crown. It has served
the state in various different military
capacities – fortress, prison, garrison
and munitions depot. However, it was
irst built round about 1440 as a private
residence for Sir George Crichton, a
member of one of Scotland’s most
powerful political families. It was
probably built on the site of a previous
fort; the port at Blackness had for
centuries served the royal burgh of
Linlithgow.
In 1650 Cromwell’s men caused
considerable damage to the castle
following a siege during which the
castle was bombarded from both land
and sea. Built up again in 1660, the
castle’s role diminished in the 18th and
19th centuries. It was used as a transit
camp for some of the 45,000 prisoners
taken during the wars with France, Spain
and America between 1759 and 1815.
Sir George did not have time to enjoy
his castle for long, as in 1453 it was
annexed by James II and has stayed in
Crown hands ever since. It was used
mainly as a state prison, solid enough
to cast even the most optimistic of
prisoners into despair.
From 1870 Blackness became the
central ammunition depot for Scotland
and was further remodelled by the army.
Occupied again during the irst world
war, afterwards it took on its new role as
ancient monument.
In the mid-16th century the castle was
massively strengthened in a climate of
worsening relations between England
Central tower, looking south
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
BLACKNESS CASTLE
3
Supporting learning
and teaching
A visit to Blackness Castle is
particularly appropriate for
teachers working on class study
topics such as:
Before the visit
Working on site
• It is helpful if pupils have some of
the architectural terminology of
castles as this makes discussion
on site easier. Words particularly
relevant to Blackness might include:
gunhole, crenellations, drawbridge,
pit prison, curtain wall, latrine,
caponier, cannon, dovecot
. Other
useful words are:
ammunition,
garrison, siege, prisoner of war,
barracks
. Pupils could produce an
illustrated class dictionary to explain
these and other terms.
When exploring the castle, in addition
to our suggestions for discussion,
pupils should be encouraged to look
critically at what they see and to make
and test theories based on physical
evidence. Some general starting points
could include:
• Mary Queen of Scots
• The Middle Ages
• Castles
Indirectly, through its role as a
state prison, it could support
Citizenship work on Human
Rights.
• What materials were used to build
the castle? Why were these materials
chosen? Are there any materials
which might have rotted away or
been stolen since then?
• Do you think this room has always
looked like this? Can you see
anywhere it has been altered? Why
might it have been changed?
The
Curriculum for Excellence
aspires to motivate and challenge
pupils through a wide range of
varied learning experiences. Site
visits have a particular role to play
in joining up learning outcomes
across the curriculum. A visit, and
use of the supporting materials,
will help to:
• Help pupils gain a clearer grasp of
the time scale by making a time
line with them, counting back the
centuries and then marking on key
events in the history of the castle.
This could be added to after the
visit.
• Discuss the organisation of life in a
castle. Pupils could investigate the
roles of the key castle ‘managers’:
steward
in charge of household;
constable or keeper
in charge
of castle security;
marshal
in
charge of travel arrangements and
communications;
chaplain
in charge
of written communication and
spiritual matters. Further details
of this can be found in the Historic
Scotland publication
Investigating
Medieval Castles in Scotland
.
• What evidence is there for everyday
life?
Pupils can record evidence by taking
notes, sketching, taking photographs,
recording impressions into a tape
recorder.
On the Historic Scotland website:
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
education_unit
teachers can ind
additional resources to help with work
on site. These include compiling an
Evidence Record
and a
My Impressions
Record
.
• develop successful learners
by
challenging pupils to consider
how life has changed for people.
It will help them to think
critically about evidence and
arrive at their own conclusions.
• develop conident individuals.
Pupils wilI learn about aspects of
their community’s past, develop
an understanding of social
changes, establish some of their
own values and communicate
their views on different
historical and social issues.
Suggestions for follow-up work
Following the visit pupils can pool their
indings in groups to create a fuller
record of the castle. This could form
the basis for a range of presentation
activites, for example:
• There is plenty of good evidence
on site relating to defending and
attacking castles. Discuss with pupils
the range of ways that castles could
be attacked and defended.
• develop responsible citizens.
It will help to increase pupils’
social and historical knowledge
and understanding and
encourage greater respect for
their own historic and built
environment.
• A guide book or lealet for future
visitors
• A slide show with commentary
• Some children ind it hard to grasp
that a castle was ever anything
other than a ruin. Discuss how wind
and weather can affect the look
of a building as well as the many
deliberate changes that people
choose to make to buildings as their
use evolves.
• develop effective contributors
by broadening pupils’
knowledge and understanding
through investigative, creative
and critical thinking.
• Imaginative writing based on
the lives of the people who lived
or worked at the castle – even a
prisoner
• A series of drama sketches showing
snapshots of life in the castle through
the ages.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
BLACKNESS CASTLE
4
Plan of Blackness Castle
On the trail of
Blackness Castle
Our suggested tour
route guides you and
your pupils around the
site at Blackness. After
the introduction, it
doesn’t really matter in
which order you visit the
locations, so you may
prefer to split your class
into groups and start at
different points.
8
9
7
6
4
5
3
2
After checking in with
the steward, we suggest
you visit these locations,
marked on the plan to
the right:
1
1. Introduction: Outside
the Castle
2. West Entrance and
Spur
3. South Tower – ground
loor
4. South Tower – the Hall
5. The Courtyard
6. The Central Tower
7. North Tower: the
Prisons
8. Drawbridge and Jetty
9. Walkway and top of
North Tower
Background information
is given in the pack for
each location. It is written
in simple language so
that it can be read aloud
to pupils if desired. Also
included are suggested
questions for discussion
.
Allow about an hour for
the tour.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
BLACKNESS CASTLE
5
Did you know...
Tour notes: On the trail of Blackness
Castle
Location 1: Outside the Castle
The name Blackness
comes from an old Norse
word ‘nes’ meaning a
sticking out bit of land. It
was built on a stretch of
black rock that sticks out
into the River Forth.
Go and stand facing the castle by an information panel to the right of the castle by a
cottage.
Background information for teachers. This can be read to pupils.
• Blackness Castle has been here for over 550 years! It is also known as ‘the ship
that never sailed’ –
can you guess why?
(shape of it, sticking out into the Forth,
surrounded by water on three sides). But although it never sailed, this castle has
had at least ive different uses:
• First of all it was built as a house for an important lord.
• Next it was used as a fortress.
• Later it became a prison.
• Then it became a place for the army to stay.
• Finally it was used as a place where weapons and ammunition were kept.
• It is unusual because it was in use from about 1440 right up to just after the irst
world war inished in 1918 – over 450 years. And for the last 80 years it has been a
tourist attraction – another use again.
View north along east wall
• Every time it changed use, the castle was altered in some way. As we go round the
castle, we can look for clues as to how, where and why it was changed.
• At one point there was another ditch between where we are standing and the
castle. There would also have been stables and workshops out here too. The other
buildings outside the castle that we can see were built in the 1870s and were
where soldiers lived.
Blackness Castle from the
south
Teacher prompts Desired pupil responses
What makes this a good place for a castle? Good look out point.
Built on solid rocks.
Useful to be beside the sea
– ships could arrive here.
Look at the picture on the information Changes: end wall much higher.
panel. This is what the castle probably No ditch in foreground.
looked like when it was irst built for Used to be an entrance in this
Sir George Crichton in 1440. wall.
How has it changed? Holes for guns have been added.
What has stayed the same? Same: basic shape is the same.
Same wall all around.
The end wall we can see was made much Very few windows, specially not
higher and thicker in the 1540s. What can low down.
you see which tells you that by this time the Huge ‘gun ports’ for cannons.
castle was a fortress, rather than a
‘Battlements’ round the top
grand house?
Walk round to the left to the entrance to the castle. Stop just before you go through
the low entrance gate.
HISTORIC SCOTLAND
EDUCATION
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]