Walking the Battlefield
We are fortunate enough to have good access to the battlefield by means of a heritage trail which runs along the east bank of the Avon, however land either side is private. The going is leisurely and to tour the field will take an hour to an hour and a half. Unfortunately it is currently impossible to make a circuit without extending the walk for another couple of miles up stream until you reach the Union Canal aqueduct which point there is a steep climb up to the tow path and circuitous route back into Linlithgow along the busy Torphichen Road. We can only hope that when the quarry site is no longer deemed profitable, the owners will restore the land and provide access for a safer and more pleasant circuit. Please note the walk is unsuitable for prams and wheelchairs.
Park the car at the Bridge Inn at Linlithgow Bridge. The pub serves good food and a pint and is an ideal base to plan the walk ahead or reminisce on your subsequent findings. Make your way across the new Linlithgow bridge taking a chance to peer over the parapet and appreciate the problems Lennox men would have had fording the river at this point. There are also fine views of the Victorian viaduct carrying the Edinburgh to Glasgow railway. To the west behind the pub is Manuel Hill, which dominates the approach to the bridge and a likely position for Lennox’s artillery. Looking East along the main road it is difficult to discern the contours of the land as they are now covered in housing. Cross the bridge and at the traffic lights turn right along Mill Road. It is somewhere along this road that Arran would have drawn up his guns to protect the bridges approach and perhaps build a barricade to offer the gunners some shelter. Then take the next the next right down to Burgh Mills. Just before the beautifully restored buildings of the mill itself you will find a footpath signposted as the heritage trail leading off to your left down the side of the first mill house. Be warned this is slippy when wet. It takes you under the arches of the viaduct towering above you. Once down the slope and against the river, it is time to take stock.
As you walk south, the slopes of Peace Hill reveal themselves to your left. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the man made slope created to support the railway and access the quarry. But as you move along the natural contours become easier to see. I suspect that the slope you see today is much steeper than that of 1526 but the change in height is discernable and gives you a good idea of the problem Lennox faced in attacking it. Note also the ground. The ground is still marshy despite the presence of the quarry now filled with drainage water. The field to your left is crisscrossed with drainage ditches and marshy burns. Even after a fair summer the land in September retains a spongy texture.
As you walk south, the wasteland at the foot of Peace Hill gives way to the quarry site. Beyond the lagoon rises the slope up to the Torphichen Road. It gives a clear sense of the amphitheatre into which Lennox advanced. Also make a mental note of the distance to the rising ground. It is the funnelling affect of the terrain here that nullified any advantage Lennox had in numbers. Arquesbus and cannon could easily disrupt the advance from the ridge but its hard to imagine ‘rolling boulders’ would cause to much hardship.
To your right across the other side of the Avon is well drained farm land which in 1526 was water meadow belonging to the convent. The meadow rises up to the Whitecross road and Manuel Haugh Farm. Beyond the farm the buildings of Whitecross can just be made out on the ridge line.
The woodland along the river bank you are now walking through has been a noted feature on all the early maps and there is no reason to think that it was note in a similar state on the day. However the course of the river has shifted over the years. It is easy to imagine Arran’s men using it as cover to watch the enemy move towards theManuel Nunnery on the far side of the meadow, taking the odd pot shot every now and then to keep them on their toes. Like wise, Lennox’s horsemen may have ventured along the West bank to look for a good crossing point before driving the Hamiltons away from the ford at the nunnery.
After about 1½ kilometres the field on the west side of the river peters out and nestled in the trees on the far bank towers the gable end of the Manuel Convent. It is quite an impressive and unexpected sight. The boulders and rocks that are strewn around the riverbank mark the remains of the convent and, unless you walk in winter when the river is at its highest, it is difficult to believe that the building was torn down by the power of the flooded Avon. However the 6ft banks suggest the river can run very high and fast. Take a minute to contemplate that the cemetery for the Nunnery lay traditionally on the south side, that is to say where you are now standing !
Looking back along the way you came, you can now really imagine the task that lay ahead of Lennox when he crossed the ford at Manuel. To the east lies a water meadow now some 300 metres wide before it rises up to the sprawling Woodlescote Farm. If you advocate the theory that the battle was fought at Peace Hill with the adversaries facing North - South then you will appreciate the march that Lennox’s pikemen now faced. Hemmed in by the ridge and the river with the small holding of Drum ahead the chances of keeping your formation would seem limited.
Alternatively if you favour the East West disposition of the forces then the ridge up to the works surmounted by its chimney stack would be your obstacle, lined with Hamilton’s troops or be it thinly.
For those of you wanting to return for the pie and pint at the pub it is now best to start back north retracing your steps. Otherwise it is onwards passed the very impressive remains of Manuel Mill on the far bank and climb up onto the Union Canal aquaduct. Once at the canal and walk east until you meet the Torphichen Road Come back into town along the road. Unfortunately it’s a busy road, so take care
As you make your way back along the road you will pass the salvage works on your left and approach the roundabout for the Kettlestoun Estate. All along this road across the fields to your left are the best views of Peace Hill, the valley floor and the crest which Arran defended. It is a fair walk from the convent to the foot of Pace Hill even today but imagine this over boggy ground, carrying an 18ft pike, then charging up hill into the face of those guns and into the hedgerow of pikes at the crest. It is hard to believe that Lennox’s men made it that far!
Finally the road brings you out at the roundabout at Kettlestoun estate. On the far side of the road you will find The Lennox Cairn. Somewhere in the estate of modern houses lies the true spot of his murder. The road into town passed the Rugby club is the probable approach of Douglas’s men, Andrew Wood and eventually the King.
Take the road opposite the cairn and you are back on Mill Road. To your left is the crest of Peace Hill, Arran’s chosen fighting ground. Take a minute to view the approach from Arran’s point of view and ask yourself what you would have done in his position as he watched Lennox’s flank march develop. Now pass under the railway and you will find yourself back at the Linlithgow Bridge, the Inn and that well-earned pint.
Of course once rested you can always complete the tour by walking into the historic town of Linlithgow itself and visit the great hall at the Palace where undoubtedly the victors of Linlithgow celebrated there hard won victory in style.
For places to eat in Linlithgow check out and for guided tours of the Burgh:
http://www.linlithgow.com/eat_drink.htm
For more on the history of the Royal Burgh and to see finds from the battlefield visit ‘The Linlithgow Story’ at the Annet House Museum
http://www.linlithgowstory.org.uk/