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Woodend Motte is a medieval motte situated in Stirlingshire, Scotland. The monument consists of an earthwork fortification typical of the Norman period, comprising a raised mound that once supported a timber or stone structure. The motte was constructed upon bedrock of the Stratheden Group, a Late Devonian formation of interbedded sandstone and conglomerate that provides a firm foundation across this region. This geological substrate would have offered relatively stable ground for the substantial earthwork's construction and long-term stability.
The motte represents an important phase in Scottish medieval settlement and defence, when such structures served as administrative and military focal points for local lordships. Positioned within Stirlingshire's landscape, the monument reflects the Norman influence on Scottish fortification practices during the medieval period. The site's survival as a recognisable earthwork demonstrates the durability of motte construction techniques and the resistance of the underlying Devonian geology to erosion.
Woodend Motte is protected by Historic Environment Scotland as a scheduled monument under reference SM2239, ensuring its preservation for future study and public appreciation. The earthwork remains an important archaeological resource for understanding medieval territorial organisation and settlement patterns in central Scotland.
Woodend,motte is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2239. View the official record →
Woodend Motte is a medieval motte situated in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2239.
Woodend,motte dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Woodend,motte 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 SM2239.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Keir of Cashley,motte (4.2 km), Harvieston,deserted village E of (4.7 km), Knochraich,standing stone 340m NW of (5.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Woodend,motte's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Woodend,motte stands on Stratheden Group, bedrock that formed in the Late Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.