Field Visit
Date October 1971
Event ID 1124669
Category Recording
Type Field Visit
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1124669
NS 910 459. Roman Temporary Camp, Cleghorn. This camp is situated on the right bank of the Stobilee Burn 570m NW of Cleghorn Mill, where the Roman road from Castledykes to Bothwellhaugh (RR 78b) is thought to have crossed the Mouse Water. An irregular parallelogram on plan, measuring internally about 500m by 355m along the axes, it occupies ground which is for the most part level or only gently inclined, but which falls away sharply on the S, the choice of site and resulting irregularity of outline doubtless being dictated by the need to overlook the adjacent river-crossing.
The defences are best preserved in Camp Wood, where, despite both long-established and recent afforestation, most of the N half of the circuit can still be traced; the rampart survives here as a grass- and heather-covered bank 3.7m thick and 0.7m high, while the ditch measures 1.9m in width and 0.4m in depth. Elsewhere, except for a stretch of about 210m on the SW, where the rampart appears as a low bank 4m thick (although dismissed by Davidson (1952), excavation in 1971 (RCAHMS) confirmed its Roman origin), cultivation has removed all surface traces. Crop-markings on air photographs and a limited amount of trial excavation have nevertheless combined to show that the course of the SE side and the S portion of the NW side approximates to that shown on the plan made by Roy in 1764 (W Roy 1793, pl. ix). It may be presumed that there were originally six gates, all protected by titula, but the two in the SE side can no longer be seen, and the titula of those in the shorter NE and SW sides have been destroyed, the former in comparatively recent times. The area enclosed is about 18.9 ha (46.7 acres), sufficient for the accommodation of two marching legions.
A reference by General Roy to 'a small post or redoubt' lying outside the Roman camp at Channelkirk in Berwickshire (NT45SE 2) has sometimes been taken erroneously to refer to the camp at Cleghorn (Statistical Account [OSA] 1795, 10).
RCAHMS 1978, visited October 1971
