Caskieben
Moated Site (Medieval)
Site Name Caskieben
Classification Moated Site (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Keith Hall Policies
Canmore ID 18913
Site Number NJ72SE 40
NGR NJ 7879 2135
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/18913
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Keithhall And Kinkell
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
NJ72SE 40 7879 2135
(NJ 7879 2135) Caskieben (NR) (site of): Moat (NR)
OS 6" map, Aberdeenshire, 2nd ed., (1928)
See also NJ72SE 46.
The first castle in this area was the palisaded tower or hall of the Garviachs, established during the Norman penetration. This stood 'on a low, ciruclar, flat-topped mound, about 55 yards in diameter, raised only a few feet above the surrounding ground, and enclosed by a ditch about 45 feet in breadth and some 10 feet in present depth. This ditch is still in places waterlogged, and probably in early times was filled from a little stream, now canalised, which flows past on the north'. This tower was superseded by the 13th century stone castle of Caskieben, later renamed 'Keith Hall'. (NJ72SE 41.)
W D Simpson 1949.
'The house or castle of Caskieben stood upon a rising ground, where a moat is still visible, at a little distance from the present mansion of Keith-hall'.
A Jervise 1875-9.
The moated site is generally as described by Simpson 1949, and is now lying in the grounds of an ornamental park. Dr Simpson confirms that both this and the 13th century stone castle are called 'Caskieben'. Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (NKB) 16 March 1964; Information from Dr W D Simpson, Librarian, Old Aberdeen.
Air photograph: AAS/88/07/S14/5, flown 3 August 1988.
NMRS, MS/712/72, visited 4 September 1980.
(Reclassified as moated site). This moated site is situated 100m N of Keith Hall (NJ72SE 41.00), on the W edge of an area of poorly-drained ground. Roughly circular on plan, it measures about 43m in diameter within a ditch up to 15m in breadth and 2m in depth. There is no visible inner rampart or counterscarp bank, and nor is there any trace of an entrance. The Pictish stone NJ72SE 46 has been erected in the centre of the interior.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, KM), 17 July 2001.
Scheduled ( with symbol stone NJ72SE 46) as 'Caskieben, moat, moated site and symbol stone 170m N of Keith Hall...'
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 24 September 2008.
Field Visit (17 July 2001)
NJ72SE 40 7879 2135
(Reclassified as moated site). This moated site is situated 100m N of Keith Hall (NJ72SE 41.00), on the W edge of an area of poorly-drained ground. Roughly circular on plan, it measures about 43m in diameter within a ditch up to 15m in breadth and 2m in depth. There is no visible inner rampart or counterscarp bank, and nor is there any trace of an entrance. The Pictish stone NJ72SE 46 has been erected in the centre of the interior.
Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, KHJM), 17 July 2001.
Measured Survey (17 July 2001)
RCAHMS surveyed a plan and section of the moated site at Caskieben with plane-table and self-reducing alidade on 17 July 2000 at a scale of 1:500. The resultant plan was redrawn in graphic vector software and published at a scale of 1:2500 (RCAHMS 2007, fig 8.11).