Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House
Medieval · Motte 420m e of ardwell house

Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House

Scotland
HES SM2010
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte 420m e of ardwell house
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic Environment Scotland

Overview

History & significance

Ardwell Mote is a medieval motte situated 420 metres east of Ardwell House in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. The monument occupies ground underlain by Gala Group wacke, the hard sedimentary rock that forms the bedrock of this part of south-west Scotland and dates from the Telychian period of the Ordovician. This solid geological foundation would have provided a stable base for the earthwork's construction and subsequent occupation.

The motte represents a form of feudal fortification characteristic of medieval Scotland, typically comprising an artificial or substantially enlarged mound crowned by a timber palisade and tower. Such structures served as administrative and military centres for local lords and their retainers, controlling the surrounding landscape and settlements. The defensive capability and visual prominence of mottes made them strategically valuable in the medieval period.

The site is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2010, recognising its significance as a scheduled monument of national importance. The survival of the earthwork in the Wigtownshire landscape provides important evidence for the pattern of medieval settlement and lordship in the south-west of Scotland.

Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2010. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House?

Ardwell Mote is a medieval motte situated 420 metres east of Ardwell House in Wigtownshire, south-west Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2010.

What period does Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House date from?

Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte 420m e of ardwell house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House?

Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2010.

What other scheduled monuments are near Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Duniehinnie,fort (4.3 km), Clanghie Point,fort 200m E of (4.4 km), Clanghie Point,fort (4.5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Duniehinnie,fort
Iron Age · Fort4.3 km
Clanghie Point,fort 200m E of
Iron Age · Fort4.4 km
Clanghie Point,fort
Iron Age · Fort4.5 km
Killumpha, standing stone 1140m NE of
Bronze Age · Standing stone4.5 km
Muldaddie,fort 510m SW of
Iron Age · Fort5.9 km
Low Curghie,standing stone 480m NNW of
Bronze Age · Standing stone7.7 km
Kirkmaiden,fort
Iron Age · Fort8.8 km
Barncorkrie,hut circles & field system 520m NNW of
Post-Medieval · Hut circles & field system9.4 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House

Ardwell Mote,motte 420m E of Ardwell House stands on Gala Group, bedrock that formed in the Telychian. The rock here is wacke.

All Scheduled Monuments