Carse Mote

Today's the day ……………………….. for an archaeological find

I've noticed this mound surrounded by trees in a field just across the River Dee from us and I've wondered if it was something special. 

I did a bit of research today and I've found that it is indeed special enough to have been included in a book written in 1891 by Frederick R Coles entitled 'The Motes, Forts and Doons of the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright'.  It appears that although the earthworks seem to be laid out in a classical Norman Motte and Bailey style setting - with a higher motte at one end, and a lower bailey area at the other - it is thought that this site pre-dates the Norman invasion of the British Isles and was probably an Iron Age hill fort rather than any sort of medieval site.

The summit of the mote measures around 165ft by 140ft, with a break in the rim on the east side, possibly representing an entrance - and may at one time have been around 20ft high.  On some old maps, the site is called 'the camp on the moat field', and although these days it looks distinctly round, it would most likely have originally been an almost square site.   I've included a couple of extras from Frederick Coles' book.

Fancy all that being just a stone's throw away ………………………?