William Wallace Murals

William Wallace House Gap Site

Location: ML11 9DZ
This narrow space between two tall buildings at the top of medieval Castlegate has been suggested as the site of the former town house of the Laird of Lamington, the father of Marion Braidfute, wife of William Wallace. Whatever the truth of this, the site has recently been transformed by local organisations Discover Lanark and Lanark Community Development Trust into an open-air art and heritage space telling the story of William Wallace’s time in Lanark. The focal points of the space are two spectacular gable end murals, the work of artist, Rogue-One. The right-hand wall depicts Wallace’s assault on Lanark Castle where he killed the English sheriff, Haselrigg, before burning the castle to the ground. The left-hand mural shows Wallace’s subsequent retreat to the Clyde where he and his men rested as new followers started to flock to his cause. The space also contains a specially commissioned poem by local bard, Les Hunter, a colourful and humorous cartoon strip by illustrator Kate Sheppard and a magnificent Wallace Sword, the work of Josef and Denisa Gara (kindly sponsored by The Rotary Club of Lanark). To find out more about Wallace in Lanark, and to help separate fact from fiction, take a look at the information panels on the left-hand wall. Wallace House forms part of an interesting local trail “In the Footsteps of William Wallace.” You can pick up a printed copy of the trail in the nearby Tolbooth at the bottom of High Street, or download the leaflet here.  

Project Timeline

2022

LCDT are offered a lease on the vacant gap site, reportedly to be the site of where William Wallace’s house was. Working in partnership with Discover Lanark, the lease is taken on, and a plan for the site is agreed.
Planning permission to transform the site is applied for and subsequently granted.
Funding is secured from the Scotland Loves Local Fund.

2023

The Wallace Sword that sits in the middle of the site is fully funded thanks to the Rotary Club of Lanark.
A crowdfunding campaign is launched for the two giant murals that adorn either side of the site. Over £1,500 is raised from the campaign.
May 2023, the artist Rouge-one begins work on the two murals. Taking around a month to complete, the murals are finished in June 2023. The rest of the work is completed at the site including:
-Installation of the Wallace Sword
-Wood effect panelling to create a ‘homely’ feel to the space.
-Information board are installed
-A poem, specially commissioned for the site is installed at the entrance to the site.

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