Archaeology Notes

Event ID 702829

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/702829

NS57SW 1.00 52482 72614

NS57SW 1.01 NS 523 729 Roman Pick

(NS 5250 7270) Fort (R) (site of)

OS 1:10,000 map, (1973)

The existence of a Roman fort on Castlehill was indicated by the discovery of a column-capital in 1847 and of an altar (NS57SW 9) in 1826. More recently, Dr St Joseph has observed from the air the south ditches, the south-east angle, and a short length of the east side of the fort. There is a gate about the centre of the south side. If the fort was attached to the south of the Wall, its size would be some 350' E-W by 425'. In 1970-1, Antonine pottery was found in the roots of fallen trees on the summit of Castlehill.

A S Robertson 1973; J K S St Joseph 1951; G Macdonald 1934.

No traces of a fort are visible at Castlehill, the area consisting of a tree plantation some 1.0m in height. Position of fort plotted from St Joseph air photograph.

Visited by OS (D S) 14 January 1957.

NS 524 726 Further pottery fragments were discovered beside tree roots in 1972 and 1974.

M C Jarvis 1974.

Dr Keppie suggests that there may be a fortlet on the very summit of Castle Hill, outwith the NW corner of the established fort area but still attached to the S side of the Antonine Wall. It is argued that from the dimensions given by the early antiquaries, with the exception of Maitland, they descibe this fortlet rather than the much larger fort, and that a raised area noted and depicted by Roy may still be visible as a turfed 'plateau' some 30m square.

L J F Keppie 1980.

The only ground trace of the fort may be a vague linear depression in the southern half of the plantation enclosure, which probably corresponds to the outer ditch lines of the W side of the fort.The E & S defences fall within featureless arable fields. At NS 5241 5271 is an apparently artificial swelling, very roughly square and of the dimensions given, but having no identifiable form or positive indications of antiquity.

Revised at 1:1250.

Visited by OS (J R L) 5 March 1982 and (M J F) 7 July 1980.