Ballands Castle

Heritage listing

Details The monument includes a motte and bailey castle built on a natural terrace on a west facing hillside which slopes down to a stream. The motte and an additional mound are at the north of the site, with the inner bailey and an outer bailey extending to the south. The motte is a flat topped mound, 3m high, the top c.9m north-south by c.14m east-west, surrounded by a ditch c.7m wide and c.1m deep. Beyond the ditch on the west side is an additional mound thought to represent an outwork. This has dimensions of c.35m north-south, c.8m east-west and c.1m high. To the south of the motte are two baileys. The inner bailey measures 25m north-south and 16m east-west. A bank on the south side of the inner bailey is c.0.75m high and c.3m wide. The ditch between the inner bailey and the outer bailey, to the south, is 7m wide and 1m deep to the top of the bank of the inner bailey, and 2m deep to the top of the bank of the outer bailey. The outer bailey stands c.1m higher than the inner bailey. The bank on the north edge of the outer bailey is c.0.6m high and c.3m wide, and the bank on the west side of the bailey is of similar dimensions. The outer bailey is c.50m north-south and c.25m east-west, and the ditch on its south side is c.7m wide and c.1m deep. Along the east side of both inner and outer baileys is a c.1m drop to a stream. On the west side the inner bailey stands 4m higher than ground level, and the outer bailey stands 5m higher than ground level. The outer bailey is marked by the OS as `Site of Church', but there is no evidence on the ground to support an ecclesiastical foundation here, and the nature of the earthwork supports the premise that it is part of the motte and bailey castle. The post and wire fence around the west and south sides of the motte and the east s

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.