stirling-1963-vol-1/05_208

Transcription

No. 179 -- MOTTES -- No. 182
179. Motte, Slamannan. The "Mote" of Slamannan
stands on a small area of rising ground which separates
the River Avon from its tributary the Culloch burn,
on the N. outskirts of the village. In ancient times the
adjoining low-lying fields may well have been a marsh.
The motte is reached through a door in the N. wall of the
graveyard (cf. No. 145), and now appears as a truncated
cone measuring about 13 ft. in height, 90 ft. in diameter
at the base and 37 ft. across the summit. It has suffered
a good deal of disturbance, a path and brick steps having
been made on its E. slope. In 1958 the N. half of the top
of the mound was excavated, but no clear evidence of any
structure was found. Two sections were also cut across
the ditch, and sherds believed to be of 12th- or 13th-
century date were obtained from the primary silt in
each. ¹
The Ordnance Survey Name Book ² implies that until
1810 another mound existed close by, on the site of the
parish church (No. 145).

856734 -- NS 87 SE ("Mote") -- 20 July 1959

180. Motte, Bonnybridge. This motte is situated at
a height of 140 ft. O.D. in the southern outskirts of
Bonnybridge; it stands on the N. side of the Antonine
Ditch behind a row of houses called Singer's Place,
720 yds. ENE. of Seabegs Place. Though now in an
advanced state of decay, it was excavated in 1933 and the
following description is a summary of the published
report. ³
As shown in Figs. 61 and 62, the motte consisted of
a rectangular mound measuring 100 ft. in length from
E. to W. by 70 ft. transversely. In 1933 it stood to a
height of 11 ft. above ground level. It was bordered on
the S. side by the Antonine Ditch and on the other three
sides by a ditch measuring 17 ft. in width and 6 ft. in
depth. The mound consisted of a slight natural knoll,
rising to a height of about 6 ft. from the general ground-
level, to which a layer of clay soil about 5 ft. in depth
had been added. Among the few relics found was an
unstratified fragment of the rim of a vessel of light-
coloured pottery dating to about A.D. 1200.
The motte is referred to as "lie Mot de Seybeggis" in
a charter of 1542, ⁴ while as late as 1797 it was known as
the "Mote". ⁵

824798 -- NS 87 NW (indicated but not named)
6 December 1953

181. Motte, Colzium. This motte is situated half a mile
SE. of the ruins of Colzium Castle (No. 204). It consists
of a natural knoll which is roughly oval on plan and
measures 200 ft. in length from N. to S. by 27 ft. in
height. The top is uneven, and at the S. end there is a
rocky mound, about 6 ft. in height, which has been
dressed to form a level, circular platform, 30 ft. in
diameter, with uniformly steep-sides. No traces, however,
can now be discerned of the timber structure which was
presumably erected on this platform.

734782 -- NS 77 NW ("Castle Hill") -- 18 May 1953

182. Motte, Balcastle. This motte, The Becastle Tumulus
described and sketched by Alexander Gordon, ⁶ is
situated at a height of 300 ft. O.D. on the lower slopes
of the Kilsyth Hills, one mile W. of Kilsyth and 300 yds.
SSW. of Balcastle farmhouse. Roughly oval on plan
(Fig. 63), it has been fashioned out of a natural knoll
which is enclosed on three sides by streams. The flanks

[Plan Inserted]
Fig. 63. Motte, Balcastle (No. 182)

of the knoll vary in height from 12 ft. on the N. to 40 ft.
on the SE., while the level top measures 120 ft. from
NW. to SE. by 85 ft. transversely. Round the base of the
knoll on the N. half there was a ditch about 18 ft. in
width, but this has now been largely filled in. A track
which ascends the NE. flank of the motte is unlikely to

1 Scottish Regional Group, Council for British Archaeology,
Discovery and Excavation, Scotland, 1958, 37.
2 Slamannan parish, p. 11.
3 P.S.A.S., lxviii (1933-4), 59-68.
4 R.M.S. (1513-46), No. 2879.
5 Stat. Acct., xix (1797), 107.
6 Itin. Septent., 21 and pl. ii, 2.

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