Motte of Urr facts for kids
The Motte of Urr is what's left of an old castle from the 1100s. It's located near a place called Haugh of Urr in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. This type of castle is known as a motte-and-bailey castle. This means it had a large earth mound (the "motte") with a tower on top, and a fenced area (the "bailey") next to it.
History of the Motte of Urr
The land of Urr was given to a person named Walter de Berkeley in the year 1165. He received it from William I, who was the King of Scotland at that time. It's thought that Walter de Berkeley was the one who built the motte. He likely surrounded it with a strong wooden fence called a palisade. This castle became the main center for the area, which was known as the barony of Urr.
Later, in the late 1100s, the motte was made even taller. This might have happened after it was damaged during a rebellion in Galloway in 1174.
The castle and the land around it then went to the Balliol family in the 1200s. After that, it was passed on to Ingram de Umfraville. He was considered the heir to the Balliol family.
In 1296, Edward I of England took the castle and land from Umfraville. This happened because Umfraville lost his rights to the property. The castle seems to have been left empty after Robert the Bruce and Edward Bruce led military actions in Galloway between 1307 and 1308. After this, the land was divided. Half of it went to the Scottish crown, and the other half was given to Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray.
Images for kids
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Mote of Urr, as it looked in 2012.
