This is an area I know well and use often. The initial contents of
the cache inlcude my first TB (Dora l'exploratrice ), a winners
medal and a top trumps pack. The area could be muggle busy
depending on the day of the week and time of the day.
Designed by the famous Scottish Architect William
Adam,Chatelherault was built in 1732 as the hunting lodge and
summer house for the wealthy Duke of Hamilton. The buildings
provided kennels, stables and accommodation for hunting parties
returning from the woodlands to the south. Adam jokingly referred
to his creation as 'The Dogg Kennel'.
Chatelherault now serves as the magnificent gateway to the
Country Park. The hunting lodge is set on an eye-catching hilltop
site affording panoramic views of Glasgow and the surrounding
hills.
Its name is derived from the French town of Châtellerault, the
title Duc de Châtellerault being held by the Duke of Hamilton.
The lodge was originally designed to be situated at the southern
end of a Grand Avenue of lime trees that linked the lodge and the
palace, formerly located in Hamilton, which was once the largest
non-royal residence in Britain, but which unfortunately was
demolished due to mining subsidence.
In the 20th century the ground in front of the lodge was
excavated for sand quarrying. The resulting subsidence has created
a noticeably lopsided feel in the lodge: coins will roll across the
floor, and many visitors report feeling unbalanced and ill. The
quarrying was halted in the 1970s, following the death of the 14th
Duke. The High and Low parks of Hamilton were given to the nation
in lieu of death duties. Chatelherault was restored to its former
glory between 1979 and 1987.