Scheduled MonumentsScotlandCarleton,motte,Little Carleton
Medieval · Motte,little carleton

Carleton,motte,Little Carleton

Scotland
HES SM2867
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte,little carleton
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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

Overview

History & significance

Carleton Motte at Little Carleton is a medieval earthwork fortification located in Ayrshire, Scotland. The motte consists of an artificial mound typical of Norman and early medieval defensive architecture, dating to the 12th or 13th century. Such mottes commonly served as the focal point of early feudal settlements, providing both military defence and administrative authority for their surrounding territories. The site represents an important phase of medieval settlement and lordship in southwestern Scotland during the period of Anglo-Norman cultural and military influence.

Carleton,motte,Little Carleton is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2867. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Carleton,motte,Little Carleton?

Carleton Motte at Little Carleton is a medieval earthwork fortification located in Ayrshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2867.

What period does Carleton,motte,Little Carleton date from?

Carleton,motte,Little Carleton dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte,little carleton. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across Britain.

Who is responsible for protecting Carleton,motte,Little Carleton?

Carleton,motte,Little Carleton 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 SM2867.

What other scheduled monuments are near Carleton,motte,Little Carleton?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Carleton Mains,enclosure 280m SE of (0.6 km), Kirkhill Castle (3.7 km), Knockdolian Castle (4.3 km).

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