Archaeology Notes

Event ID 705445

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/705445

NS77NE 14 78500 78030

(NS 78500 78030) Roman Camp (R) (site of)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

A crop mark, which appears to be a Roman temporary camp, is visible on the west side of the deep little valley west of Castlecary fort. In field 337 (OS 25") south of the main Glasgow road, a line of ditch has been seen defining 750ft of the south east side and some 200ft of the north east of an enclosure. There is a break as for a gate in the south east side, and the postulated east angle lies at the margin of the found where it is invisible. There is space here for a camp at least 500 by 70 ft, beside the military way.

J K St Joseph 1955

No traces of this Roman camp were found in a cultivated field.

Visited by OS (JLD) 18 January 1957

Above confirmed.

Site surveyed at 1:2500 from air photographs.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 7 April 1967

A 400ft length of the north side and rounded north west angle of this camp have been established, giving axial dimensions of circa 850ft east-west by 570ft; much of the previously known perimeter on the south east and north east sides has been destroyed by roadworks.

J K St Joseph 1965

No change to previous reports.

Visited by OS (MJF) 20 April 1980

Excavation in advance of house-building revealed part of the S defences of this camp, known as Garnhill 1. The camp ditch was 2m wide and 60cm deep, but narrowed towards the W. There was no evidence of the corner-angle in the areas examined, to match that shown on current OS maps.

L Keppie and J Walker 1989.

Investigation was resumed in 1990 in advance of further housebuilding close to its SW corner. The ditch itself was 1.3m wide and 1m deep from the Roman ground surface. The SW corner of the camp was not located, but seemed likely to lie immediately W of the zone available for excavation.

L Keppie and J Walker 1990.

In advance of further housebuilding in Castlecary village, a search was made N of Castlecary Road for the NE corner angle of the camp. The E defensive ditch was located, width 1.15m, depth at least 0.6m; but the area had been much disturbed in the 19th century by the embankment of the adjacent Glasgow to Edinburgh railway-line, and more recently by the construction and subsequent demolition of Castlecary Village Hall.

There were no small finds.

Sponsor: Mr K McMillan, Castlecary House Hotel.

L Keppie 1992.

NS 7850 7803 An excavation was conducted within Garnhall 1 Roman temporary camp during July 1996 in advance of the construction of additional car parking space at Castlecary House Hotel. The area under investigation lay towards the W corner of the camp, and proved to have been greatly disturbed in recent times. Six trenches with a combined area of 170sqm, and 22 test-pits, were excavated. No features of archaeological significance were identified.

A report has been lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsor: Mr K MacMillan, Castlecary House Hotel.

K Cameron 1996