Sites and Monument Record: Slamannan Motte (SMR 326)
Description
Motte. Sited on small area of rising ground separating the River Avon from the Culloch burn. 28 m across base, a truncated cone shape. Excavations of 1958 found the encompassing ditch but revealed no conclusive evidence of buildings. Evidence suggests that nearby mound existed on site of local parish church until 1810. This was probably the area of the bailey, represented by the later circular graveyard enclosure.
The motte sits on one of a series of small hillocks that extend across the river's floodplain from the south. At this point there is a projecting bluff on the north side, creating a convenient line of north/south communication across an otherwise marshy river valley. For this reason the church and village of Slammanan lie on the northern perimeter of the parish.
The hill is known locally as the Moat Hill. In the early 20th century the mound was landscaped by the provision of brick and concrete steps on its southern and eastern slopes, with terraces for wooden benches. This path is now overgrown. Houses between it and the main road were demolished in the 1960s. The summit may have been further interfered with during the Second World War by the local Home Guard.
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