Field Visit
Date 29 November 2017
Event ID 1043673
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1043673
A group of three buildings and remnants of a field-system, probably representing the remains of a medieval or post-medieval farmstead, is situated on a terrace on the N flank of Traprain Law about 100m NNW of the summit. The best preserved building (TPR31) measures 12.2m from ENE to WSW by 4.1m transversely within a grass-grown stony bank about 1.9m in thickness, possibly broken by an entrance on the SSE. Just 5m to the E there are the remains of a second and similar building (TPR30), while a further 35m to the E are the remains of a third (TPR28). Two other buildings shown on earlier plans do not bear scrutiny. A number of walls, now reduced to little more than discontinuous runs of stones and small boulders, may be the remains of a contemporary yards around the buildings. A track that leads off the W, presumably through a later entrance to the fort, may also be contemporary.
The second building (TPR30) was partly excavated in 2000 (MS726/198, Trench 8) exposing a wall built of stone and turf. Finds that pre-dated the building included wheel-thrown pottery and the upper stone of a bun-shaped rotary quern (possibly Roman-British in date). These finds, combined with the plan of the buildings, and their good condition (compared to other structures on the hill), suggest that the farmstead may be of medieval or later date.
The buildings were depicted on the revised 2nd edition of the OS 25-inch map (Haddingtonshire 1907, sheet 11.1) and on the plans published by RCAHMS (1924, 95; Feachem 1958), though no description was provided since they were thought to be relatively late in date.
A series of boulder walls immediately surrounding the farmstead are probably simply the remains of associated enclosures, although they may have extended to form a small field system.
Visited by HES Survey and Recording (GFG, AM) 29 November 2017
(TPR 28, 30, 31)
