Archaeology Notes

Event ID 704132

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/704132

NS77NW 29 7323 7646.

(NS 7323 7646) Excavations in 1977/78 in the vicinity of Croy Hill Fort (see NS77NW 10) revealed a fortlet c.80m west of the fort on a small rectangular plateau.

Rectangular, with the Antonine Wall forming its north boundary, it measured internally 22m N-S by 18.5m E-W within a 2.7m wide turf-cheeked and cobble based rampart. A rock-cut surrounding ditch 3.5m wide by 1.1m deep was on the west side. The rampart, which was separated from the ditch by an 8.0m wide berm, was slighted around the south side, but was shown to be of one build with the Antonine Wall.

W S Hanson 1978; 1979; R Goodburn 1978

There is no surface evidence of the fortlet on the level, grass-covered plateau although the outline of the back- filled excavation trenches (3) can still be discerned.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (MJF) 23 May 1980

Listed.

RCAHMS 1982

The internal measurements of this fortlet were c.18.5m from E to W and c.22m from S to N. A turf rampart with stone base plus a ditch, contemporaneous with the Antonine Wall, provided its defence. The peculiarity of the route followed by the ditch and the off-centre position of the S gate seem to have been the result of uninterrupted rock lying immediately below the surface.

Anne S Robertson/lawrence Keppie 2001.