Presumed construction Milieu du Moyen Âge (Xe–XIIe siècles) (≈ 1250)
Estimated period of construction of the moth.
30 septembre 1997
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 30 septembre 1997 (≈ 1997)
Registration by ministerial decree.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Castral motte, as well as the land (soil and basement) on which it is situated (Box C 647): inscription by order of 30 September 1997
Origin and history
The Kergorlay castral motte, located in the eponymous hamlet near Motreff (Finistery), is a defensive vestige characteristic of the middle of the Middle Ages. It is truncated and peaks at about 10 meters high, with a base of 50 meters in diameter and a flat top of 20 meters. Traces of dry stone constructions are visible, suggesting a brief occupation or fortification. This type of structure, often associated with local lords, was used to control surrounding lands and to provide minimal protection against regional raids or conflicts.
The moth is girded by a dry ditch of 5 meters wide and deep from 2.5 to 3 meters, reinforcing its defensive character. Although its precise history is not detailed in the sources, its inscription as a Historic Monument in 1997 attests to its heritage importance. The castral mottes, frequent in Brittany at that time, reflect a feudal organization where the small local seigneuries played a key role in structuring the territory and protecting rural populations.
The site, now protected (including its soil and basement), offers a well-preserved example of these earthworks, typical of the Xth–XIIth centuries. Its location overlooking the hamlet of Kergorlay suggests a strategic choice to monitor the surroundings. The absence of contemporary written sources limits the knowledge of its exact use, but its architecture evokes a military and symbolic function, marking the power of a local lord or family.
