Alloway Mote | |
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Alloway, South Ayrshire, Scotland | |
Coordinates | 55°25′41″N4°37′38″W / 55.428089°N 4.627195°W Coordinates: 55°25′41″N4°37′38″W / 55.428089°N 4.627195°W |
Grid reference | grid reference NS338179 |
Type | Earthwork |
Height | 5 m (16 ft) |
Site information | |
Owner | Private land |
Open to the public | No |
Condition | Eroded by the River Doon |
Site history | |
Built | 12th Century |
Materials | Earth banks |
The Scheduled Ancient Monument of Alloway Mote, [1] also known as the Alloway Moat or Alloway Motte, is a roughly circular earthwork [2] [3] that is regarded as a possible early medieval ringwork, [3] located near the village of Alloway in South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Alloway Mote stands at the tip of a pronounced meander of the River Doon just to the south of the connection between Murdoch's Lone and Doonholm Road, between the river and the entrance road to the Doonholm Estate; [4] a 19th-century lodge house stands on the other side of this estate road. Alloway Mote's position is on a steep bluff and erosion has resulted in part of the earthwork collapsing into the river so any defensive features here have been lost. Bridgend Castle stands nearby on the west bank of the River Doon and is thought to have been held by the Montgomerie clan. [3]
The remnants of a moat or ditch are discernible and the summit of the mote has a D-shaped concavity that is defended on the landward sides by a substantial and steep curved earth bank. [3] The approximate internal width is 10 m (33 ft), and the substantial earth bank is up to 9 m (30 ft) thick and has a height above the interior floor of 1.8 m (6 ft). The exterior height from ground level is around 5 m (16 ft). [1] Beech tree plantings, natural scrub and a typical woodland sward covers the ring-work that was once ringed with a wood palisade rather than a stone wall.
In the 12th century the River Doon is thought to have represented the physical boundary between the kingdoms of the Scots and that of Galloway. Alloway therefore, situated as it is in South Kyle, was on the border with Carrick and after the defeat of the Galloway forces a peace agreement was reached 1186. [5] At this time a number of ringwork castles were erected at Dunduff and Greenan, suggesting that Alloway Mote was built at this time to help impose the royal control at this old boundary, in line with the introduction of feudal control of the area. Ayr Castle was built in 1197 and the focus of military and judicial control shifted to Ayr resulting in the abandonment of Alloway Mote. [5]
The historian John Smith in the 1890s visited the site and refers to it as a "moat, court-hill, tumulus or mound", and stated that according to the Ayr Town Records it had been used as an open air court where trials had taken place. He states that its appearance does not fully coincide with a typical court hill but puts that down to the activity of treasure hunters. [2] Recent study of the Ayr records however show that the Ayr tolbooth was the usual meeting place for the courts casting doubt on Smith's statement. [5]
It is likely that a domestic settlement was associated with Alloway Mote, but archaeological excavations have so far failed to find any evidence to confirm this or to suggest a likely location. [5]
Alloway is a village in South Ayrshire, Scotland, located on the River Doon. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the construction of Hopetoun House, Craigiehall, and Kinross House, also hailed from Alloway. Some historic parts of the village make up a conservation area.
Greenan Castle is a 16th-century ruined tower house, around 2+1⁄2 miles southwest of Ayr in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Situated at the top of a sea cliff, it was originally a promontory fort converted into a motte-and-bailey in the 12th century. In the 15th century a tower house was built by the Lords of the Isles, which later passed into the hands of the Kennedy family.
A moot hill or mons placiti is a hill or mound historically used as an assembly or meeting place, as a moot hall is a meeting or assembly building, also traditionally to decide local issues. In early medieval Britain, such hills were used for "moots", meetings of local people to settle local business. Among other things, proclamations might be read; decisions might be taken; court cases might be settled at a moot. Although some moot hills were naturally occurring features or had been created long before as burial mounds, others were purpose-built.
Glengarnock Castle is one of the ancient ruined fortifications of Ayrshire. Its keep is located on a remote rocky promontory overlooking the River Garnock about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the town of Kilbirnie in North Ayrshire, Scotland. There is no clear account of when this was erected or by whom, but it may have been built by the Cunningham family or by the Riddels who preceded them. The Barony of Glengarnock is one of three feudal baronies which together form the parish of Kilbirnie in the district of Cunningham which lies in north Ayrshire. The River Garnock flows through the village of the same name 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) to the south, but the name Glen Garnock applies more specifically to the ravine at Glengarnock Castle.
The Castle of Clonbeith is in the old feudal Baillerie of Cunninghame, near Auchentiber, on a sideroad off the B778, in what is now North Ayrshire, Scotland.
Dunduff Castle is a restored stair-tower in South Ayrshire, Scotland, built on the hillside of Brown Carrick Hills above the Drumbane Burn, and overlooking the sea above the village of Dunure.
Terringzean Castle, also Taringzean, pronounced 'Tringan', is a Category B listed castle ruin lying above the River Lugar and the Terringzean Holm in the policies of Dumfries House, Parish of Cumnock, Scotland. The name Craufordstone or Craufurdstoun, has also been used, echoing that it and these lands originally belonged to the Crawfords, as did Lefnoreis Castle or Lochnorris Castle which once stood near the site of the Dumfries House stables.
Trabboch Castle is a ruined L-plan tower house in the old Barony of Trabboch, Parish of Stair, East Ayrshire, Scotland.
Kerse Loch, also recorded as Carse Loch (1841) is a small freshwater loch in the East Ayrshire Council Area, lying in a glacial Kettle Hole, Parish of Dalrymple, Scotland.
Montgomerieston, sometimes known as Montgomeryston or Ayr Fort, was a small burgh of regality and barony of only 16 acres or 6.5 hectares located within the walls of the old Ayr Citadel, also known as Cromwell's Fort or Oliver's Fort, situated in the town of Ayr, South Ayrshire, Scotland. Montgomerieston was named for the Montgomerie family, Earls of Eglinton.
Fairlie Castle is a restored oblong tower castle located on a natural rounded knoll situated above a precipitous section of the Fairlie Glen near the town of Fairlie in the old Barony of Fairlie, Parish of Largs, North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was built by the now extinct family, the Fairlies of that Ilk and survives in a fairly good state of preservation. It is a protected scheduled monument.
Craigie is a small village and parish of 6,579 acres in the old district of Kyle, now South Ayrshire, four miles south of Kilmarnock, Scotland. This is mainly a farming district, lacking in woodland, with a low population density, and only one village. In the 19th century, high quality lime was quarried here with at least three sites in use in 1832.
Lendalfoot is a small village located on Carleton Bay, parish of Colmonell in the old district of Carrick, now South Ayrshire, about six miles south of Girvan, Scotland. This is mainly a farming district, lacking in woodland, with a low population density. The village sits astride the A77 that runs north to Girvan and south to Cairnryan and Stranraer. Carleton Hill rises to 520 feet or 158 metres from the road and is the site near its summit of earth banks, an ancient fort.
The ruins of the five storey high 15th century Carleton Castle lie in a prominent position above the village of Lendalfoot located on Carleton Bay, parish of Colmonell in the old district of Carrick, now South Ayrshire, about 6 miles south of Girvan, Scotland.
Minishant is a village bordering the A77 in the old county of Carrick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is located in Maybole Parish, 3+1⁄2 miles from Maybole and standing close to the River Doon. The village was originally named Culroy after the Culroy Burn that runs through it.
The ruins of the large courtyard style Kyle Castle, once also known as Cavil Castle or occasionally Dalblair Castle lie close to the hamlet of Dalblair in Auchinleck parish near Muirkirk in the East Ayrshire council area, Scotland. The castle stands at the confluence of the Guelt Water and the Glenmuir Water on a peninsula carved out by these rivers. Its name suggests that it was once of some significance.
The castle known as Gadgirth Old Ha' or Gadgirth Old Hall, was the first castle at Gadgirth, held by the Chalmer family, standing on a whinstone promontory overlooking the River Ayr in the Parish of Coylton, the old district of Kyle, now part of South Ayrshire, Scotland.
The Castle and Barony of Gadgirth was held by the Chalmer family, originally De Camera, with successive castles and a mansion house overlooking the River Ayr at the border of the Parish of Coylton, the old district of Kyle, now part of South Ayrshire, Scotland.
Lawthorn is a hamlet near Perceton in Strathannick, Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The settlement lies on the old Irvine to Stewarton toll road.
Kemp Law Dun is a vitrified fort dating from the Iron Age situated near the town of Dundonald in South Ayrshire, Scotland. The remains of the Iron Age fort or dun lie on the old Auchans Estate in the Dundonald Woods near the site of the old Hallyards Farm and the quarry of that name. The footpath route known as the Smugglers' Trail through the Clavin Hills from Troon to Dundonald runs passed the ruins of the dun. Kemps Law is in the order of two thousand years old.
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