Watching Brief

Date 1993

Event ID 550562

Category Recording

Type Watching Brief

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/550562

Trial trenching and watching briefs were undertaken along the route of a waterpipe development at the two points where it crossed the presumed route of the Roman road, at Stonypath, West Linton (NT 145 535) and to the W of Carlops (NT 157 557).

The course of the Roman road is visible in places between West Linton and Carlops as a raised causeway and/or as parallel lines of quarry pits on aerial photographic coverage. Although no traces of the Roman road were visible in either of the proposed development areas, extrapolation from the known lengths suggested that remains might be identified at these locations.

Extensive trenches were placed across the presumed Roman line in both areas, but no traces of metalling, ditches or quarry pits were found. Consequent watching briefs in the area also failed to locate the Roman line.

The supposed line of the Roman road W of Carlops appears to result from an extrapolation from known sections without consideration of local topography. A more practical route is provided by contouring round the scarps here and crossing the burn at a spot further S, closer to the

A702 road.

CFA 1993.