Almont, Shell Knowe
Natural Feature (Period Unassigned), War Memorial (20th Century) (1915)
Site Name Almont, Shell Knowe
Classification Natural Feature (Period Unassigned), War Memorial (20th Century) (1915)
Alternative Name(s) John Snell Memorial
Canmore ID 61949
Site Number NX18NE 2
NGR NX 1876 8730
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/61949
- Council South Ayrshire
- Parish Colmonell
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Kyle And Carrick
- Former County Ayrshire
NX18NE 2 1876 8730.
(NX 1876 8730) Shell Knowe (NAT) (Mote) (NR).
OS 6" map (1957)
Shell Knowe is a prominent, green, morainic knoll which has been isolated from a long ridge and has probably been adapated to serve as a motte (RCAHMS TS, 16 September 1953).
It measures 27m E-W by 18m at base, 17m by 6m across its flat summit and 4m to 5m high except on the north where levelling to build cottages has reduced the height to 2m. On the east a 9m wide ditch runs 2.4m below the summit and on the west a 5m wide ditch runs 3.9m below the summit. There is no trace of one on the steep south side. The RCAHMS do not consider these ditches convincing.
Paterson (1847) says this mound gives name to the neighbouring form - Almont for Auld Mount - and Smith (1895) names it Almont Fort.
It is not known why it is named Shell Knowe. A monument erected in 1915 to John Snell, born 1629 and seal-bearer to Charles II surmounts the mound (Name Book 1855; G G Simpson, B Webster and G Stell 1970
Visited by OS (JD) 12 October 1955
This natural mound is as described in the prevous information. There is no evidence to suggest that it has ever been utilised as a motte, as it does not appear to have been artificially scarped nor do the ditches appear to be man-made.
Visited by OS (JP) 10 February 1976
Field Visit (16 September 1953)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.
Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.
Field Visit (July 1981)
Almont NX 187 873 NX18NE 2
There is no evidence to indicate that a natural flat-topped mound immediately behind Almont cottages served as a motte. A modern monument stands upon it.
RCAHMS 1981, visited July 1981
(Name Book, Ayr, No.16, p. 69; Paterson 1863-6, ii, 131 ; Smith 1895, 216-17; MS notes in NMRS, RCAHMS Survey of Marginal Lands; Stell 1972, 181, no. 71)
