Rough Hill

NS65NW 17 6078 5536.

(NS 6078 5536) Rough Hill (NAT)

OS 6" map (1935)

On this hill are the remains of a building that measured 73ft by 63ft. The ruins of the ancient structure have for a long time past supplied materials for the dykes and roads in the neighbourhood. It was built of freestone, but the stones do not appear to have been hewn. About 1807, a large vault was discovered. The spot where the building stood is not known.

Name Book 1857; D Ure 1793

This is a motte. It is well sited for the river and stream flow in steep-sided gorges at this point, and the only access is across fairly level ground to the S and W. The motte, which is entirely of artificial construction, is sub-oval on plan; the flat top measures 40m E-W by 22m transversely, and stands 3m above the level of the base, which is 50m E-W by 35m transversely. Around the base to the S and W there is an almost obliterated ditch which served the dual purpose of defence and a quarry for the mound.

In the W half of the top of the mound there is evidence of a long structure indicated by a building-platform, robber-trenches, and a number of undressed stones. It is oblong on plan with dimensions approximate to those given in the Ordnance Survey Name Book (ONB); the walls would appear to have been about 6ft thick. There would seem little doubt that this is the site of a large tower.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (AC) 15 June 1959

(NS 6078 5536) Rough Hill (NAT) Motte (NR)

OS 1:10000 map (1980)

This motte is now densely overgrown and cannot now be evaluated.

T C Welsh, undated, visited 1979; 1980

for further details see MS/1507

A total of 21 test pits were excavated to sample the archaelogical potential of a 1.5 hectare area to the S and W of the motte before commercial development. No evidence was found for settlement outside the motte.

Sponsors:Scottish Urban Archaeoligical Trust, Historic Building and Monuments, East Kilbride Development Corporation, Strathclyde Regional Council.

J H McBrien 1990.