1017423 |
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Caerlaverock is, without doubt, the region's premier castle. Its appearance in dazzling red sandstone conveys an impression both of solid strength and dignifIed splendour. The double-towered gatehouse and triangular layout, surrounded by a water-fIlled moat and earthen rampart, display some of the changes in design that were induced partly by Edward I's castle-building activities in the last quarter of the 13th century. Caerlaverock itself is of late 13th century origin, but, curiously, we know neither the identity nor even the nationality of its builder. [...] |
1986 |
1017430 |
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Birrens was the fIrst Roman fort in Scotland to be extensively excavated (in 1895), and, excavated again in 1936-7 and 1962-7, it has proved itself the most informative of all Roman sites in south-west Scotland. It is the only major fort in the region where there are unmistakeable, if slight, visible, remains, and it is the only one known to us by its original name, Blatobulgium. Its inclusion in the Antonine Itinerary (a Roman road map), where it is named, reflected its function as an outpost fort of Hadrian's Wall, 14 Roman miles on from Netherby (Castra Exploratorum) in Cumbria. The road through Birrens was the main western route into Scotland. [...] |
1986 |
1017437 |
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This rectangular earthwork on the slope of Camp Hill, north-west of Rispain Farm, is an object-lesson in the perils of archaeological fIeld survey and excavation. Long believed to have been of Roman origin, it was excavated in 1901 but yielded no evidence of date or character. It was later re-classifIed as a possible medieval moated site, although its size, situation, and deep V-shaped ditch were acknowledged to be untypical. With the assistance of radiocarbon dating techniques, excavations in 1978-81 were able to establish that it was neither Roman nor medieval, but a defended native homestead dating to around 60 BC. [...] |
1986 |