Archaeology Notes

Event ID 701690

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/701690

NS33SE 5 3592 3276.

(NS 3592 3276) Fort (NR)

OS 6" map (1967)

The remains of a fort crown Wardlaw Hill, the highest summit of the Dundonald range, which consists of an oval plateau measuring 340ft NE-SW by 200ft transversely. Parts of the rim of this are bordered by the remains of a stony, grass-covered rampart which stands to a height of 5ft at best, and is spread to as much as 20ft in width.

R W Feachem 1963; D Christison 1893

A short stretch of rampart 0.5m high, which has continued to curve round the top of the hill to the S and E as here there are traces of what appears to be walling and an artificially scarped slope on the SW, 1.7m high, running round untl the rocky escarpment on the S is encountered. Above this stretch of cliff is the faint course of a wall curving for a few metres in the direction of the NE corner of the extant rampart. From general appearances, this earthwork is similar in character to NS33SE 6, a few hundred metres S, but is on a much smaller scale.

Visited by OS (JLD) 28 May 1954

A fort, situated as described on a level summit at about 145m OD. Lacking any certain detail around its E side, it can only be estimated as measuring internally some 70m NE-SW by 60m transversely, and is bounded by a turf-covered rampart and cut-back scarp, up to 2.8m high externally, around the N and W sides, of easiest approach. There is also the suggestion of an outer ditch and upcast bank around the W side. Minimum defences would be required around the steep natural slopes of the S and E sides; a faint undulation in the SE may indicate a former curving wall line.

The rampart on the N side fades slightly to terminate at a circular stony mound, 8.5m in overall diameter and up to 1.1m high on its N side, with an excavated central depression. OS 1st Edition 25" (1860) shows this to be the position of the original Wardlaw Hill triangulation station and it is possible that this was a support mound.

Resurveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JRL) 5 May 1982