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Explora: Environment
and Resource Conservation, recreation, or both?

unrealistic expectations of the estate, but GRC’s insistence This encouraging result, however, came to little. The
on ownership meant that he was effectively excluded issue was bandied around indecisively for 3 years, with
from the discussions, other than to draw attention to the several bodies expressing concern, but all were either unable
potential in the NHMF. to act themselves or sought to transfer the responsibility
elsewhere. A further planning application, intended to
3.5. Chatelherault take advantage of this impasse, was again unsuccessful,
The last country park possibility to interest the NTS was but the stasis continued, and Chatelherault continued to
Chatelherault, a large estate of grassland and wooded glen deteriorate to the point where it was considered ‘in the
south of Hamilton, dominated by an 18th-century hunting last stages of decay;’ vandalism and pagan sacrifice
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lodge. Chatelherault itself is an A-listed building designed were reported, though the latter turned out to be nothing
by William Adam, which originally formed part of the more than an occasional orgy. The NTS remained the
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extensive Hamilton Palace landholding; it has an associated body most committed to finding a solution, with its Chair,
parterre and other gardens but these are limited in scale, Lord Bute, planning to discuss the issue directly with
reflecting the building’s original subsidiarity to the Palace Lord Hamilton, who owned the property through a Trust
itself. The wider Chatelherault estate includes a historic arrangement. Ideas for resolving the issue surfaced and
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ruined castle, several ancient trees and the famous Cadzow died across several years, falling at hurdles of finance or
wild white cattle. The land north of the hunting lodge had practicality, but one that lasted longer than most others
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been extensively mined, first for coal, later for sand, from was that of making Chatelherault the focal point of a
the early 19 century, leading to the demolition of Hamilton country park.
th
Palace itself in the 1920s; by the 1960s the encroachment
of continuing sand extraction was threatening the stability One history of Chatelherault credits the genesis of
of Chatelherault as well. A planning application to extend this idea to Jean Balfour, then Chief Executive of CCS, in
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the extraction was submitted in 1964; although it did not 1977. However, Stormonth Darling had been thinking
say so specifically, it was evident this would involve the along these lines since at least 1972, when he raised the
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demolition of Chatelherault, and it opened a new chapter in possibility with the Duchess of Hamilton. He tried to get
the property’s history, bringing both its importance and its the local authorities interested, but made little headway,
increasingly lamentable condition to a wider audience. 119 and even CCS, who had previously hinted at the possibility
of funding, turned their back on the idea. Negotiations
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The local planning authority, Lanark County Council with the family, however, proved more fruitful; the Duke
(LCC) sought support for preservation, and the NTS was offered in 1978 to put Chatelherault into guardianship as
among those invited to join them in this campaign. An an Ancient Monument, and to gift its surroundings as a
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NTS assessment confirmed that Chatelherault was ‘a very public park, an approach supported within the Scottish
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fine work of architecture’ but thought it unlikely to attract Office. The NTS’s influence here – particularly that of
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significant popular interest, thus ruling out an appeal Lord Bute – seems to have been critically important to this
to the public for funding. As there was no endowment, proposal. However, the Duke of Hamilton died before
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and the prospect of considerable expense to rehabilitate this arrangement could be realised, and the estate trustees
the building, NTS acquisition was not at all attractive, were horrified to discover the plan, evidently negotiated
but this did not prevent NTS’s active and supportive by the Duke without their knowledge; they immediately
interest in Chatelherault’s preservation. The Royal Fine repudiated it. 134
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Arts Commission for Scotland (RFACS) also supported
preservation, but lacked powers to finance a rescue, as did The Duke’s demise, however, opened up the new
other interested parties. While the RFACS advocated possibility of a gift in lieu of death duties, something
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unrealistic propositions such as relocating the building Stormonth Darling was alert to, observing that the NLF
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to Pollok, Stormonth Darling was looking to build a was seriously underspent in the present financial year.
partnership to put pressure on the estate, and exploring An offer in lieu was duly made, but the value of the estate
restoration in situ with the SDD. 123 was considerably greater than the duty owed, and there was
no legal provision to allow reimbursement of the excess.
The planning application ended up at a Public Inquiry
in 1966, where several expert witnesses testified as to the The trustees were unable to accept this, so this opening
also failed to materialise.
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building’s architectural significance. This was accepted
by the Secretary of State, who ruled against the estate Nevertheless, the country park idea remained alive, and
company, suggesting that saving Chatelherault was ‘not yet LCC asked Stormonth Darling to expand further on it in
beyond hope,’ and urging someone to come forward with a 1974. He pointed out that ‘architectural merit’ on its own
proposal for rescuing it. 124 was clearly not going to save Chatelherault, but that ‘a large

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2025) 10 doi: 10.36922/eer.5890