Peel Park

Peel Park, Kirkintilloch, is the location of both a Roman fort and a mediaeval castle. The mound of the mediaeval castle of Kirkintilloch can be seen just after entering the park through the War Memorial Gateway, with traces of the dry moat falling away, as pathways, to left and right. The highest part the mound, to the left, contains underground remains of a large stone building, excavated in 1899, but then buried again and covered over with turf. Remains of the stone base of the Antonine Wall were found close to the western boundary of the park during the 1950s. The Park is entered through the War Memorial Gateway at the top of Peel Brae, just up from Kirkintilloch Cross. The gates were made locally, in Kirkintilloch's Lion Foundry, during the mid 1920s. The supporting framework is of New Zealand marble, gifted to his native town by Sir James Fletcher, a successful New Zealand industrialist. The Peel Park bandstand is an excellent example of the ornamental ironwork made by the Lion Foundry of Kirkintilloch. It was paid for by David Perry, a Provost of Kirkintilloch, and gifted to the town in 1905. The nearby drinking fountain was also made by the Lion Foundry Company. It was gifted to the town by Robert Hudson, a partner in the firm.