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<< Our Photo Pages >> Barntalloch (Langholm) - Misc. Earthwork in Scotland in Scottish Borders

Submitted by Anne T on Thursday, 27 July 2017  Page Views: 2177

Multi-periodSite Name: Barntalloch (Langholm) Alternative Name: Staplegordon Motte; Staplegorton; Portholm Pool
Country: Scotland County: Scottish Borders Type: Misc. Earthwork
Nearest Town: Langholm  Nearest Village: Staplegordon
Map Ref: NY35258776
Latitude: 55.179874N  Longitude: 3.0183W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
2 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
3 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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Anne T visited on 24th Jul 2017 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 3 Access: 5 Barntalloch Motte, Staplegordon, Langholm: It was dull and very wet at our house, and fed up of the rain, we decided to head off to the Scottish Borders for some sunny, 25 deg C weather. Landing in Langholm by 2.30pm, we stopped off for coffee and cake before heading off into the wilds of Eskdale. I spotted this site on the map, just west of Langholm, down a small road leading to a hamlet called Staplegordon. It caught my eye because it not only had the motte but the remains of a chapel. I like looking around the gravestones. We parked in what looked like a parking area for fishermen to the right of the far side of the bridge. There is actually another car park by the farm nearer to the motte. There are posts indicating the routes of different Langholm Walks. Just past the farm to the left of the bridge, the track splits at NY 35445 87796. The northern section leads down to the old graveyard and a bungalow (looks like the chapel was converted into a dwelling). A track led through another farmyard to our left which curls to the south west, around the side of the motte. The lady farmer roared up on her quad bike and stopped to say hello. She didn’t seem to mind us tramping through her farmyard, but wasn’t very forthcoming. When I got home and did some research on Canmore, I found out that the old chapel was supposed to have an inscribed stone. We didn’t walk down there as we couldn’t see a way of reaching the churchyard except through the main gate of the cottage.

Barntalloch (Langholm)
Barntalloch (Langholm) submitted by Anne T : First view of the motte as we took the south westerly track through the farmyard. (Vote or comment on this photo)
Misc. Earthwork in Scottish Borders

This motte is recorded as Canmore ID 67601, which tells us it was created in the second half of the 12th century by Galfrid or Geoffrey de Coninsburgh. It sits on top of a small cliff which has the River Esk on its southern side and the Staplegordon Burn to its east, and its south western edge shows signs of ongoing erosion by the Esk.

The Canmore entry tells us the motte is: "situated on a steep-sided promontory 120m SSE of Staplegordon burial-ground .....has been formed from the E tip of the promontory and is defended on the W by a ditch up to 12.5m broad; the triangular top of the motte measures 27m from ESE to WNW by 26m transversely and a fragment of mortared masonry is visible on its leading (W) edge. The bailey lies to the W and measures up to 57m from NE to SW by 37m transversely internally. It is defended on the S by the steep natural drop down to the river, but on the N and W there is a low rampart which has been spread up to 4m in thickness; the flanks of the promontory appear to have been scarped down to the level of the terrace that can be traced along the foot of the slope. The entrance to the bailey lies on the W but access to the motte may have been provided by a timber bridge spanning the ditch at the NE corner of the bailey, opposite which there is slight evidence of an entrance-way leading up to the summit."

To reach the hamlet of Staplegordon, take the B709 west out of Langholm then take the minor road which leads north from NY 34958 85731 to Staplegordon. Crossing the bridge over the River Esk, there are parking areas at NY 35572 87708 and by the farm at NY 35360 87836. At NY 35275 87861 the lane divides, the northern track leading towards the old chapel and burial ground (the chapel apparently has an inscribed stone within its bounds); the track to the south west curls around the side of the motte.

We met the farmer as we walked back, who was very friendly and didn't mind us visiting. If we'd hadn't seen so many mottes, we might have thought this was just a grass covered mound alongside the bend of the river, the but earth and stone construction visible on one side, together with its overall shape, made it easy to interpret.



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Barntalloch (Langholm)
Barntalloch (Langholm) submitted by Anne T : The motte as viewed from a layby on the B709 on the way to Little Hill hillfort. Taken from approx. NY 34126 88036. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Barntalloch (Langholm)
Barntalloch (Langholm) submitted by Anne T : Standing on the bridge over the River Esk looking west, the motte can be seen peeping through the tall trees growing on the far bank of the Esk. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Barntalloch (Langholm)
Barntalloch (Langholm) submitted by Anne T : Whilst the motte is fenced off, sheep were grazing over it. Part of the north west side had been eroded, giving a view of the earth mound with stones visible in other parts of the site. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Barntalloch (Langholm)
Barntalloch (Langholm) submitted by Anne T : The River Esk is still eroding the south bank of this motte. Shame the trees were so dense at this point that we couldn't see down the steep bank to the river below. (Vote or comment on this photo)

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Nearby Images from Geograph Britain and Ireland:
NY3587 : Spring triplets at Potholm Farm by Walter Baxter
by Walter Baxter
©2010(licence)
NY3587 : An ancient stone at Staplegordon Graveyard by Walter Baxter
by Walter Baxter
©2010(licence)
NY3587 : Staplegordon graveyard near Potholm by Walter Baxter
by Walter Baxter
©2009(licence)
NY3587 : An old gravestone at Staplegordon Churchyard by Walter Baxter
by Walter Baxter
©2009(licence)
NY3587 : An old gravestone at Staplegordon cemetery by Walter Baxter
by Walter Baxter
©2009(licence)

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