Archaeology Notes

Event ID 715245

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/715245

NT41SE 18 4994 1407

(NT 4994 1407) Motte (NR)

OS 6" map (1970)

This motte, known as Hawick Mote, is a grass-covered truncated cone, situated 430' OD. Its is apparently entirely artificial, with an almost obliterated ditch round its base.

The flat top is 41' in diameter, standing c.25' above the base, which is 97 1/2' in diameter. The flat-bottomed ditch was discovered by Curle in 1912 when it was found to range in width from 28' to 14' and from 7' to 4' in depth. Curle obtained numerous sherds, a bone needle and a Henry II silver penny from a section in the NE arc of the ditch, all suggesting a 12th century date, when a member of the Lovel farm held Hawick.

A O Curle 1914; RCAHMS 1956, visited 1950.

All the finds from the excavation are in Hawick Museum, except the coin, which is in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS).

Hawick Museum Catalogue, undated

Generally as described above, although no trace of the ditch can now be seen. Pottery from the site is in Hawick Museum.

Surveyed at 1/2500 and 1/1250.

Visited by OS (RDL) 11 January 1963 and (JP) 18 August 1971

Material from the 1912 excavation, including the Henry II coin are in Wilton Lodge Museum, Hawick (HAKMG 4159).

Museum Catalogue 1981.

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Scheduled as Hawick Moat Park... an artificial earthen motte of truncated conical form, located on the high ground above the W bank of the Siltrig Water. It rises to a height of some 7.6m and has a diameter at the base of about 29.75m.

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 29 October 2003.