Field Visit
Date 26 September 2016
Event ID 1018809
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1018809
The First World War defences on Toman Dubh form part (No. 3 Position) of a larger infrastructure designed to protect the Portkil Coastal Battery (NS28SE 39) from its landward side (see also NS28SW 5, and NS28SE 39.15-17). Toman Dubh is a low rise in boggy moorland partly occupied by a mature conifer plantation, and the defences on it comprise two blockhouses (No. 5 and No. 6) and four firing trenches, some of these elements being depicted on a military plan (National Archives: WO78/4396). Blockhouse No. 5 (NS 24277 81486) is situated on the highest part of the hill, close to the crest of the steepish west flank which runs down to Lindowan Reservoir. Unfortunately, whilst its location was identified with some degree of certainty on the date of visit, forestry ploughing and the subsequent growth of the trees has rendered the positive identification of specific elements of the blockhouse very difficult. Similarly with the trenches (NS 2419 8156) depicted on the plan lying downhill and NW of the blockhouse, a short distance inside the edge of the modern plantation. Blockhouse No. 6 (NS 24389 81334) is situated on the SE shoulder of the hill in rough pasture. Subcircular on plan, it measures approximately 9m in diameter within a grass-grown bank about 1.5m in thickness and 0.4m in external height with an entrance on the SW. An external ditch, which probably served both as a drain and a source of material for the bank, measures up to 2.9m in breadth on the WSW by 0.2m in depth. Three firing-trenches are situated on the north and north-east flanks of the hill, all comprising a comparatively shallow ditch 1m to 1.2m in breadth and from 0.7m to 1m in depth, fronted by a low upcast mound. The most westerly ditch (NS 24380 81749) is a NW-facing arc at least 25m in length. The second trench lies about 25m uphill to the SE (NS 24410 81718) and comprised a straight length of waterlogged ditch some 13.5m long and facing NNE. The third trench (NS 24533 81606) is a NE-facing arc measuring about 27m in length.
Visited by HES, Survey and Recording (JRS, AK, AM) 26 September 2016.
