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Situated in the Low Parks in
the fertile valley of the River Clyde, Hamilton Palace stood at the
centre of an extensive garden which, as its main axis, had a great
north-south tree-lined avenue over three miles (five kilometres) in
overall length. This designed landscape may have originated in the
late 17th century but was first drawn up in 1708 by Alexander Edward
(1651-1708). The layout was later developed, most notably by William
Adam (1689-1748), who introduced Châtelherault hunting lodge
into the south avenue in the High Parks where it commanded a broad
vista northwards across the Low Parks.
This simulated 'aerial' view is a re-creation
of the estate landscape as it probably existed in the late 19th
century and is based on the 1:10,560 scale Ordnance Survey map of
1896. It takes as its centre line the great avenue which linked
the palace (centre) with the High Parks and Châtelherault
(left). To the right (north) of Châtelherault, it shows the
avenue crossing the Avon Water on the line of the Old Avon Bridge.
The northern section of the avenue runs past the mausoleum (bottom
centre right) along what has then become a well-defined racecourse
to a meander on the River Clyde (right) near Bothwellhaugh.
With a group of 19th-century estate buildings
on the site of the former 'Hietoun' immediately to the west (centre
top) of the palace and a formal garden (top centre right), the palace
and its immediate policies remained at this date screened from common
view and insulated from physical encroachment by the neighbouring
burgh of Hamilton (top centre). The burgeoning of industry in the
locality is clearly represented by the former colliery at Cadzow
(top centre left).
[ The image is interactive - click on each site
for further information. ]
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