Droagh Motte
This special motte was built in the late twelfth century and was used to control the surrounding land around Carnfunnock. From the watchtower the garrison had a commanding view over the Irish Sea and Coastal strip as well as towards the Antrim Plateau.
The motte is located within agricultural land so please follow the countryside code as livestock may be present.
What is a motte?
Castles were built by the Normans as a defence against the Native Irish. The first known castles were earth mounds called ‘mottes.’ These were built as frontier posts in defensive positions to give a clear field of vision all around the castle. These earth mounds were surrounded by a ditch from which the mound material was excavated. Mottes often had a wooden watchtower surrounded by protective fencing of stone or timber. The tower served as an observation post and as a safe position for archers to mount a defence They sometimes had an area called a ‘bailey’ extending from the base of the mound where they lived, maintained stores and kept horses.
This site is scheduled under the Historic Monuments and Archaeological Objects (NI) Order 1995 and is monitored by Environment and Heritage Service DOE (NI).
