Callan Motte

On the flat flood plain c. 50m N of Kings River and N of the town of Callan (KK026-010---) which lies immediately S of the river, in pasture. The sides and much of the top of the motte are overgrown with trees, scrub and brambles. There are good views in all directions. The motte was probably built by William Marshall (died 1219), who is credited with founding the town, probably utilising a natural ridge which was augmented. The construction is likely to have been built under the supervision of one of Marshall’s stewards, possibly Geoffry Fitz Robert, who built the motte at Kells (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 9). Orpen (1909, 319-20) relates that in 1247, ‘the castle and vill, with appurtenances, went with Kilkenny as part of Isabella Marshal’s share, and were granted to her son Richard de Clare, earl of Gloucester and Hertford’. In an extent of the manor of Callan, taken in 1307, ‘upon the death of Joan, Countess of Gloucester and Hertford, when the jurors found that “there was there a castle in which there was a hall constructed of wood, with wooden shingles, a stone chamber, a kitchen, and other wooden chambers”’ (ibid.).

The area around the motte appears to have been utilised for gardening by the 16th century, as illustrated in a 1539 lease in the Ormond Deeds, where the Earl of Ormond grants to ‘Rose Hedyn, widow, and Piers Herforde’s children…two messuages [a house with outbuildings and a parcel of land/yard] …said messuages and a garden by the ‘mothe’ [motte] with 17½ acres of arable land’ (Curtis 1937, vol. 4, 181, deed 225). The conditions of the tenure were typically manorial, including the payment of, ‘two ‘ryppen hokes,’ two ‘wotghe’ hens, and give two men to mind the millpond besides serving said mill in all points as their neighbours do’ (ibid.; Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 11-12). In 1577, ‘Robert Swetman, merchant’, was granted, ‘a garden at the ‘mothe’ (Curtis 1941, vol. 5, 286, deed 292).

A substantial steep-sided motte (top dims. 39m NW-SE; 20m NE-SW; basal dims. 66m NW-SE; 48m NE-SW; H 9m above bailey; 12m above flood plain) with a bailey (dims. 56m N-S; c. 70-75m N-S) to the E (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 12). The castle on top of the motte would have been accessed from the bailey. This slightly lower access point has been utilised over the centuries and has become quite eroded (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 16).

The bailey is defined by a much reduced bank (S bank: Wth at top 3m; overall Wth 10m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H to flood plain 4m; N bank Wth at top 3.7m; overall Wth 16.5m; int. H 0.4m; ext. H 0.75m) which is best preserved towards the W end. The N side can be traced as a flattened rise which begins to turn towards the SE just before the field/townland boundary running roughly N-S E of the motte. The house and outbuilding at the W end of Moat Lane appear to have been built on the flattened E bank of the bailey.

Immediately W of the motte, 2m from the base, there is a smaller roughly triangular-shaped mound (dims. c. 30m NNE-SSW; c. 40m WNW-ESE; max. H 2.8m) which falls steeply on the E side and slopes gently to the W down to the flood plain. The top of the mound forms a small level area (dims. 2.3m N-S; 2m E-W). This is part of the natural ridge which remained after the motte was constructed.

A geophysical and topographical survey of the motte and bailey and surrounding area was carried out in 2002 (Clutterbuck et al. 2006, 7-28). This revealed several anomalies which appear to correspond to medieval buildings on the motte, including a hall (dims. 17m x c. 18.55m) and within the bailey as well as a possible kiln (Wth c. 7m) (KK026-010085-) and furnace (Wth c. 5m) (KK026-010086-) c. 40-50m N of the bailey (ibid. 16-24).

(National Monument No. 372)