Wanderings & Witterings

By IvarBlipS

Medieval

A rather wet visit to an amazing building today, made all the better by a fascinating, knowledgeable and passionate on-site guide.

At one point during my walk around Hogganfield Loch yesterday (see yesterday's entry) my mind turned to what is being developed to the east of Glasgow and into North Lanarkshire as the 'Seven Lochs Way'. When I returned to the car at the end of my walk I had a look on the map for the location of the 'next' loch on this trail: Bishop Loch.

However, my attention drifted to another park near to Bishop Loch, namely Auchinlea Park in Easterhouse and, more specifically, a building within that park called Provan Hall. It was showing on the map as belonging to the National Trust for Scotland and I was surprised, since it is relatively close to home, that I hadn't visited it at any time in the past 40 (at least!) years.

Provan Hall, although owned by the NTS, is managed by Glasgow City Council and lays claim to being one of the "best-preserved medieval fortified country houses in Scotland", partly dating from the middle of the 15th century. The modern parterre garden dates from only 1971 and there is also a reconstruction of a medieval garden within the grounds.

My plans for a walk around Auchinlea Park and a longer look around the Provan Hall site - were scuppered by the accompanying heavy and persistent downpour - and so I retreated to the nearby Glasgow Fort shopping centre for lunch and an opportunity to dry off. A return trip is definitely on the cards - and I still have to explore my original intended destination of Bishop Loch too. If only it would stop raining!

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