Salvage Record

Date 1906

Event ID 569561

Category Recording

Type Salvage Record

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/569561

The Wall was exposed at NS 7386 7698 during construction of the railway. The Wall as viewed at Croy Hill is composed of turf, and no large stones are present. Taking a section of the turf construction it can be seen that it comprises different coloured earths. The soils are layered, the sections being transverse. There is a tracery of lines, varying from deep black, to deep red or purple, visible on the face of each section. In the sections at Croy and Barr Hills nineteen layers were revealed, their heights varying from 4ft 4 ins to 4ft 10 ins. From the evidence revealed by the soil layers it could be concluded that the wall may have been in the region of 10ft in height. Modern military precedent would suggest, according to the report of the Glasgow Archaeological Society, that "sods not over 6 ins. thick originally would, by the dressing or trimming necessary to fit them for their purpose, and by the weight of the sods built over them, be compressed into something like half that thickness." The average breadth of the stone base of the wall is 14 ft, and the 'berm is the ledge or platform' which is located between the edge of the ditch and the base of the wall itself. Earth from the ditch situated on the N side has been piled up with the apparent purpose of raising the height of the counterscarp, the average width of the ditch is about 40 ft and depth about 12 ft.

In order to reach the summit of Croy Hill, which is 460 ft above sea level, the vallum had to ascend 'steep and frequent' slopes, and there must have been considerable difficulty in digging the ditch. It was necessary, in some sections, to take the line through solid rock. The ditch is clearly visible right across Croy Hill.

Barr Hill, 464 ft above sea level, is then traversed by the vallum. In this area the ditch is 38 ft in width and retains its original and 'unmistakable V shape.'

Rel and Illust Arch 12 1906.