Description

The monument comprises a motte, the earthwork remains of an earth and timber castle, dating to the medieval period, probably around 12th or 13th century AD. The monument is visible as a roughly circular, steep-sided flat-topped mound, approximately 35m in diameter. The motte is located in woodland to the south of a tributary of the River Clyde, at around 150m above sea level.

The motte stands on an enhanced natural knoll and the remains of a possible outer rampart are visible around the northwest. The level surface on top of the mound is up to 20m across; a hollow in the centre may indicate some disturbance in antiquity. Spreads of stones are visible on the banks, especially on the northern slope.

The scheduled area is a clipped circle on plan, 60m in diameter, to include the remains described above and an area around them within which evidence relating to the monument's construction and use is expected to survive, as shown in red on the accompanying map. The monument was first scheduled in 1980, but the documentation does not  meet current standards: the present amendment rectifies this.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

This monument is of national importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to our understanding of the past, in particular the dating, construction and function of early earth and timber castles introduced across Scotland in the 12th century AD. The motte is substantially intact and there is significant potential for the survival of buried structures and archaeological deposits which can help us to understand the construction and use of early castles and changes in the way land was owned and managed in medieval Lanarkshire. The monument's importance is enhanced as it is one of a cluster of similar sites on the west side of the River Clyde. The loss of this monument would diminish our ability to appreciate and understand settlement and land tenure in medieval Lanarkshire and Scotland more generally.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

Historic Environment Scotland http://www.canmore.org.uk reference number CANMORE ID 45737 (accessed on 07/03/2016).

West of Scotland Archaeology Service record number: WOSAS PIN 9852 (accessed on 07/03/2016).

McNeill G B and MacQueen H L, 1996, Atlas of Scottish history to 1707. Edinburgh.

Stell, G. 1985, Provisional list of mottes in Scotland', in Simpson, G G and Webster, B, 'Charter evidence and the distribution of mottes in Scotland', in Stringer, K J, Essays on the Nobility of Medieval Scotland.

Canmore

https://canmore.org.uk/site/45737/

Source: Historic Environment Scotland