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Post by andi on Dec 3, 2005 19:38:28 GMT 10
Stirling History
The history of Stirling is rich with legends and events from the figuire of William Wallace who fought and won the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 against an occupying English army, to the Battle of Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce's defeat of another English army in June 1314 secured Scottish independence. Stirling heritage dates back 800 years to the twelfth century, when the town first received the burgh title. It was granted a Royal Charter, becoming one of the most important towns of medieval Scotland.
Stirling's importance developed from the fact that it controlled the lowest crossing point of the River Forth. The land to the west of the river was bog and marshland making it impassable for armies to cross. The land was eventually drained in later centuries.
The town was occupated in 1745 by Bonnie Prince Charlie's army. John Knox regularly preached in the Church of the Holy Rude next to Stirling Castle.
The area of the burgh covers most of the region spreading outwards to include villages such as St. Ninians, Causewayhead, Bridge of Allan and Torbrex, which were once very separate communities, making them part of the bigger picture of Stirling as the ancient ‘Royal Capital’.
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Post by andi on Dec 3, 2005 19:41:19 GMT 10
Stirling's Timeline- 1297 Wallace leads the Scots to victory in the Battle of Stirling Bridge - 1314 The Battle of Bannockburn was fought and won by King Robert the Bruce and his army - 1326 First Scottish Parliament meets at Cambuskenneth Abbey - 1507 John Damian attempts (unsuccessful) to fly from the battlements of Stirling Castle with wings made from hens' feathers - 1566 King James VI christened at Stirling Castle - celebrations include the first fireworks display - 1770s Bannockburn mills produce 90% of the world's tartan - 1840s The railway comes to Stirling - 1856 Huge meeting in King's Park decides that Stirling is the only possible home for the National Wallace Monument - to be built by local subscription - 1905 Stirling MP Henry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister - 1967 Stirling University's first intake of students - 1970 Building of the M9 motorway - 1999 Renovated Great Hall opened by Queen on St Andrew's Day - 500 years after it was built - 2001 Old Tolbooth gets ready to be Scotland's most inventive arts centre - 2002 Stirling becomes a city www.stirling.gov.uk/index/stirling/history.htm
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Post by andi on Dec 3, 2005 19:43:52 GMT 10
A city at heartMaybe it’s something to do with the craggy beauty of its setting, and the open vistas which roll out beneath the two unmistakable landmarks of Castle and Wallace Monument, but Stirling has always set its sights far and wide. The outlook is all-embracing and international. And now confident, cosmopolitan Stirling has become Scotland’s youngest city. HM Queen Elizabeth II granted six UK towns city status in 2002 to mark her Golden Jubilee, and Stirling's bid was one of the successful ones. In May the Queen visited the new city to present the letters patent to Provost Tommy Brookes. Our world-class university spread across one of the most beautiful campuses in Europe, the largest regeneration project in the country, a new national park on the doorstep, thriving inward investment, a growing population and a great quality of life are just some of the reasons for Stirling's success. Stirling town centre www.stirling.gov.uk/index/stirling/stirling-city.htm
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Post by andi on Dec 3, 2005 19:44:40 GMT 10
Stirling town centre
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Elly
Administrator
Posts: 29,887
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Post by Elly on Dec 4, 2005 18:33:07 GMT 10
thanks Andi, really enjoyed the read and the pics are great #ssmile#
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Post by andi on Dec 7, 2005 5:41:29 GMT 10
The Old Town
Stirling Castle and town are medieval in origin. Alexander I dedicated a chapel here in the early 1100s. King David I gave the town royal burgh status in 1124. A merchant Guild was founded to administer the market and trading privileges granted by the king.
The heart of the ancient town still survives today and gives Stirling its distinctive and historic appearance. 'The Top of the Town', as it is known locally, used to be the hub of trade, public and social life. It now contains and attractive mixture of old and new housing, historic buildings and leisure facilities.
The old town trail starts at the Castle Esplanade car park, comes down into the old town streets, and through the old town defences to the Smith Art Gallery and Museum. At a leisurely pace the walk lasts approximately an hour and a half.
Old places
The Castle The Old Grammar School Argyll's Lodging Mar's Wark Church of the Holy Rude John Cowane's Hospital Auchenbowie's House Broad Street The Tolbooth Norie's House Darnley's House John Cowane's House Robert Spittal's House The Town Wall The Smith Art Gallery
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Post by andi on Dec 7, 2005 5:44:13 GMT 10
The castleStirling Castle towers above the river and the medieval bridge. The castle is well defended by cliffs on 3 sides, the castle became a military stronghold and seat of royalty and government. Stirling Castle rock has been used as a fortress for centuries - probably since Roman times. The earliest buildings upon it mentioned in surviving records are the castle and the chapel dedicated by Alexander I in 1120. From the 12th Century it became one of the principal royal strongholds in Scotland. Destroyed or rebuilt several times in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was close to great battles against the English during the Wars of Independence - Stirling Bridge in 1297 and Bannockburn in 1314. www.stirling.co.uk/index.htm
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Post by andi on Dec 7, 2005 5:54:46 GMT 10
Church of the Holy RudeStirling's principal parish church for more than 500 years. In 1452, the town and it's wooden church were burned in revenge after King James II murdered the Earl of Douglas. The present church developed in two stages. The first half was completed around 1470 and the Nave and Tower date in part from that period. The second half was completed around 1555. A plaque on the floor marks the spot where the infant, King James VI was baptised in 1567. The child was christened in a gold font sent by Elizabeth of England. He was carried into the chapel by the Count of Brienne, as proxy for the king of France who was his godfather. Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Savoy were also godparents. The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of St. Andrews according to Roman Catholic rites while the Protestant lords stood outside the chapel. The boy's father sulked in his apartments and refused to attend the ceremony and festivities. There are magnificent stained glass windows and one of Scotland's rare, surviving, medieval open timber roofs. Each craft guild formerly maintained an altar to its patron saint while wealthy burgesses built their own chapels. The vaulted Chapel of St. Andrew survives intact. A dividing wall was built within the church after a 17th century dispute amongst the church's congregation. This was removed during the restoration in 1936. graveyard view www.instirling.com/sight/rude.htm
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Post by dreamy on Dec 7, 2005 10:06:35 GMT 10
Wonderful pics and great info, andi! Thanks for the posts!
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 1:57:00 GMT 10
The Battle of Stirling BridgeThe roots of the conflict lie many years before. King Alexander of Scotland died mysteriously in 1286, leaving the child Margaret of Norway as his heir. Edward I extracted a promise of marriage between Margaret and his own son, but when Margaret died on her way back to Scotland there was no obvious heir. The Scots asked Edward to mediate between the various claimants to the throne. Edward was scrupulously fair in his arbitration, but he extracted oaths of fealty from all the claimants. The two men with the best claims were John Balliol and Robert Bruce. Edward chose Balliol, and immediately began to show that he intended to manipulate his choice at every opportunity. Balliol rebelled, and allied with France. Furious, Edward marched north, took Balliol prisoner, and occupied Scotland. William Wallace raised the Scots in revolt again, gaining most of his support from those who had originally backed Robert Bruce. Wallace was a fearless warrior, and seemed to be motivated more by patriotism than by thought of personal gain. The Earl of Surrey marched north from Berwick and found Wallace just outside Stirling. Surrey sent heralds to try to convince Wallace to disband his men, but the Scot was having none of that argument. Surrey behaved with unpardonable lack of respect for his opponents - he sent away a part of his troops when the Treasurer complained of the expense, and then held up his own attack plan by oversleeping. The BattleRather than send his men two miles upstream to a broad ford across the River Forth, Surrey elected to attack across Stirling Bridge, which was so narrow as to permit only two men to advance at one time. When a good number of the English knights had crossed, Wallace let loose his men, who gleefully cut a swath through the unprepared English. Their attack cut Surrey's army in two, and reinforcements from the far bank could only be sent in twos across the bridge. Most of the men who had crossed were killed by the Scots, who must have been shaking their heads at the incredible folly of the English leaders. The English baggage train was captured, with a host of valuable supplies. Surrey himself fled south to Berwick. The ResultsAfter the Battle of Stirling Bridge, William Wallace was knighted and put in sole command of the Scottish troops. The golden glow of success was not destined to shine long, however. Edward I was a leader not likely to make the same mistakes as the Earl of Surrey, and he led a sizeable army north to deal with Wallace himself. They met at the Battle of Falkirk just 10 months later. www.britainexpress.com/History/battles/stirling.htm
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Post by andi on Dec 30, 2005 2:04:43 GMT 10
Wallace Monumentview from castle The Wallace Monument was completed in 1869 on the back of a wave of nationalism then sweeping Europe, with expatriate Scots and international figures contributing towards its construction. A new exhibition tells the fascinating story behind the building of the monument, including the fund-raising campaign, the design competition, and the building and opening of what has become a national landmark. 220 feet (67m) high, this Victorian Gothic tower was opened in 1869 to commemorate Scotland's greatest freedom fighter, Sir William Wallace (1267-1305). It was funded by public subscription, and donations poured in from expatriate Scots around the world. Support came from many European leaders, including the Italian patriot, Garibaldi. In 1296, Edward I of England invaded Scotland and the Scottish Wars of Independence began. William Wallace began a guerrilla campaign against the English and became known as the hammer and scourge of the English. On 11th september, 1297, the Scots defeated the English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. After defeat at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Wallace was betrayed and captured. He was hanged, drawn and quartered in London in 1305, and has since become a symbol for Scotland and Freedom. The monument is on the Abbey Craig, a rocky crag from which Wallace watched the English army gather on the South side of Stirling Bridge. 246 steps take you to the the top of the tower and there are three chambers where you can stop off during your climb. Take your time and catch your breath while you look at Wallace's famous double-handed broadsword, meet Wallace and learn of his struggle to free Scotland from English rule. In the Scottish Hall of Heroes you will meet other great Scots sculpted in marble. Writers, explorers, inventors and statesmen including, Robert the Bruce, Sir Walter Scott, David Livingstone, Robert Burns and James Watt. The third floor of the Wallace Monument contains a 360° diorama where you will learn about the history of the surrounding landscape. On the viewing platform above you will witness one of the finest views in Scotland, over the town of Stirling and the carseland of the Forth Valley, as far as the Forth bridges in the East and Ben Lomond in the West. There is a shuttle bus which runs from the visitor centre car park beside the Sword Hotel, to the top of the Abbey Craig. The statue of William Wallace beside the visitor centre caused some controversy when it was unveiled as many thought that it bore an uncanny resemblance to Mel Gibson. Or you could walk the tarmac path up the hill and through the woods which surrounds the monument. If you decide not to climb the Wallace Monument, you will still be rewarded with a panoramic view from the base but the view from the top is breathtaking. www.instirling.com/sight/wallace.htmoffical website: www.nationalwallacemonument.com/
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Post by smudger on Jan 6, 2006 7:30:04 GMT 10
Stirling was for me as a youth a place to be as a teenager being more to offer as Dunblane . I come always gladly back to this area to see the town and soak up the atmosphere .
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