Yes - I was thinking a bit more about possible connections of moots and mottes. What do you think about this?

Saxons had their local parliaments, law courts etc on moot hills - some were adapted barrows and others were natural or purpose built mounds. (Vikings had the same sort of things(!)) Normans came along and took them over. They made them bigger and more dominating. but they were still places of government and justice. They called them mottes rather than moots, but they performed the same function as did later castles. This would give continuity and would explain why some are not necessarily in a strong defensive position, but do dominate the surrounding land. Root word must be precisely that - mot = word, moot = meet - I don't know of any explanation of the origin of motte - must be the same surely? My dictionary just says its from the French for a mound.