Parks Of Coldstone

NJ40NW 12 434 054

There is a deep, wide moat surrounding an elevation of about an acre (NSA 1845) (classified by Simpson as a 12th-13th century motte (W D Simpson 1929) on the farm of the Parks of Coldstone, where the ground, though now drained, has evidently been a morass.

NSA 1845; W D Simpson 1929.

There is no trace of this moat. Rollo, writing in 1660, states that, in 1594, the 'Moat of Colstaine' was a strong square fortalice surrounded by a barbican wall which stood in a morass, by the waterside lower down from the kirkyard holm (NJ40NW 5). A river 'now a runnel' washed one side of the castle, and a wet ditch defended it on the other. The square fortalice had 'broad chimneys, stone roof, grated casement and corbelled ramparts'. (Information from Phillip Rollo, 1660, edited by J Grant) An unpublished note provided by Dr Simpson states that in the earlier part of the 19th century, the moat was visible in waste ground, now the lowest field of the parks of Coldstone but some time before 1865 it was completely destroyed.

It would appear that this motte was situated in the valley bottom, now dry, centred at NJ 434 054.

Visited by OS (N K B), 9 October 1968.

The location indicated falls in an E-W trough between two knolls at an altitude of about 200m OD.

Philip Rollo 1660, 351 cited (James Grant ed.)

NMRS, MS/712/44.

Nothing is visible of this alleged moated site in low-lying improved ground.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS, PC), 10 September 1997.