Archaeology Notes

Event ID 701566

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/701566

NS34SE 4 3936 4421.

(NS 3936 4421) Chapel Hill (NAT) Motte (NR)

OS 6" map (1970)

Chapel Hill (NR) Human Bones found (NAT)

OS 6" map (1911)

Chapel Hill is a circular artificial hill near Chapeltoun House. About 1850, Mr J McAlister raised it to its present height by taking the earth etc which had slid from its sides, and putting it on the top. While doing this, a quantity of human bones was found near the base on the S and E sides, and also some stones which from their appearance Mr McAlister though had been exposed to fire. Mr R Miller, a former proprietor, stated that when the present road past Chapel Hill was being made, a quantity of bones was found, giving the idea that there had been a burial ground here.

Name Book 1856

Chapel Hill stands on sloping ground; it is 20ft high on the low side, and 7ft on the high side. The top is flat and the sides are very steep. It appears to have been repaired some fifty years ago.

J Smith 1895

Chapel Hill is a large circular flat-topped mound situated near the summit of a hill slope. It measures 18.5m across the top and has an overall diameter of about 32.0m. On the E it is 4.5m high, and on the W, where there is a stone retaining wall round the adjoining field, it has a height of 2.0m.

Visited by OS (DS) 30 July 1956

This mound appears to be a motte.

Visited by OS (JLD) 3 October 1962

It is difficult to make any accurate assessment of this feature. It has obviously been altered and landscaped beyond any recognition of its original form, and in its present state has an ornamental appearance. Situated on the edge of a natural N-S scarp line at approximately 60m OD, it is possible that this was at one time just a slightly raised promontory, but as such, it is almost certainly not a motte and would be more typical of a homestead position in this region.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JRL) 24 August 1982