Cromwell in Perth

Cromwell in Perth

Had you come here in the 1650s, you would be standing right in the middle of a magnificent military citadel, about 244m square, with lots of activities and stored goods. The citadel was built here after Oliver Cromwell’s siege of Perth and was not popular. A lot of the building material was taken from inhabited buildings, graveyards and walls in town, including the Mercat Cross, and the ramparts were constructed from the turf of the Inches, the communal grazing, leisure and linen drying ground for the city. Today, you cannot see any traces of the citadel above ground as it was demolished in stages after the Restoration of the Crown in 1660. It was re-occupied during the Jacobite risings of 1715 and 1745. But why had Cromwell built the citadel in the first place? Perth was a strategically important point for conquering the country. It was the lowest crossing point of the River Tay, the furthest inland harbour, and important roads from North, West and South met here. If you controlled Perth, you could influence the rest of the country.

reconsites

eulac3d

Site

12

19/03/2021

cm x cm x cm

current,56.39152548715628,-3.4274286031723027;

Cromwell in Perth

TEXT

https://medievalperth.org/wiki/index.php/Cromwell_in_Perth

Building

32

1