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Benthead

Motte (Medieval)

Site Name Benthead

Classification Motte (Medieval)

Canmore ID 65998

Site Number NX99NW 9

NGR NX 92236 95837

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/65998

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Dumfries And Galloway
  • Parish Closeburn
  • Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
  • Former District Nithsdale
  • Former County Dumfries-shire

Archaeology Notes

NX99NW 9 9225 9583.

(NX 9225 9583) Fort, Benthead. About 1/4 m. NNE of Benthead, on the SE bank of the Linn and some 60 yds. down from the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall is a small circular entrenchment. The ground falls from the southwards towards the edge of the Linn, and directly overlooks the construction, which forms a small plateau above the precipitous bank 60' to 70' in height.

The mound is encircled by a horseshoe trench in that direction. This construction is very similar to that on the Wanlock Water up the Crawick Pass, in Sanquhar parish (Dumfrie 2 SE 2).

RCAHMS 1920

The recent rapid survey produced one additional probably motte in Dumfriesshire at Benthead.

R W Feachem 1956

This is a very small motte 1.2m max. height with ditch all round exce pt on the north where the slope falls precipitously to the Linn Burn. The ditch is 6.4m overall width and 1.2 max. depth on north and south and 1.0m on the east. The fairly flat top of the motte measures 13.0m in diameter, and has been mutilated on the north side.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 6 August 1959

Activities

Field Visit (20 June 1912)

Fort, Benthead.

About ¼ mile north-north- east of Benthead, on the south-east bank of the Linn and some 60 yards down from the fine waterfall known as the "Grey Mare's Tail," is a small circular entrenchment. The ground falls from the southward towards the edge of the Linn, and directly overlooks the construction, which forms a small plateau above the precipitous bank 60 to 70 feet in height. The mound is encircled by a horseshoe trench, some 20 feet wide, the ends of which rest on the bank, and it has nowhere a height of more than 5 feet above it, while on the upper side it does not exceed 3 feet 6 inches. The summit area measures 40 feet in diameter, and is not very level. On the southwest face is a depression some 12 feet across which gradually falls to a depth of 4 feet below the summit level. This appears to be secondary, and the soil from it has seemingly been used to level a platform at the edge of the bank of the Linn and partly to close the end of the trench in that direction. This construction is very similar to that on the Wanlock Water up the Crawick Pass, in Sanquhar parish (RCAHMS 1920 No. 553).

RCAHMS 1920, visited 20 June 1912

OS 6” map xxii. S.E. (unnoted).

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