Archaeology Notes

Event ID 714542

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/714542

NT51SE 10 59500 11700.

(Centred: NT 59481175) Fort : Hut Circles (NR)

OS 6" map (1924)

Fort, Bonchester Hill. This fort is situated on the summit of Bonchester Hill (1030 ft. OD), half a mile ESE of Bonchester Bridge. The hill is flanked on the W by the Rule Water and on the E by the Fodderlee Burn, to both of which it presents high and steep slopes; while to N and S it falls more gently, in the form of a ridge between the valleys. Its summit is formed by a flat-topped knoll, the N slopes of which merge into the shoulder of the ridge as this falls gently towards the confluence of the streams a mile and a half to the N; but those on the S arc are rocky and precipitous. Exploratory excavations were carried out in the fort by Dr A O Curle in 1906 (A O Curle 1910), and these were followed by more extensive excavations in 1950, from the report on which the following summary account has been prepared. (C M Piggott 1952)

The earliest fortification, which excavation showed to belong to the pre-Roman Iron Age, was a stone wall (I on plan) some 10 ft. to 12 ft. in width at the base which was built round the top of the summit-knoll to enclose an area measuring internally about 345 ft. from N to S by about 280 ft. transversely. It was composed of large stones uncoursed, laced with timber. Outside the N arc of this wall excavation revealed two more walls (IA and IB on plan) of which no trace remained on the ground. Wall 1A, which was composed of large stones, was 8 ft. from I and measured 17 ft. in thickness. Wall IB, at a distance of 8 ft. from IA, was 8 ft. 6in. in thickness and was composed of two faces between which earth and rubble had been inserted. It is possible that, as the slope N of the knoll was so gentle, the addition here of these outworks was considered necessary for defence purposes.

In this phase the fort had three entrances; one, 5 ft. in width, in the NW arc, another of the same size in the NE arc and the third, about 10 ft. in width, in the S arc. All three appear to be original. Finds, which include a ring-headed pin and part of a La Tene Ic brooch, suggest that this earliest fort was built, and occupied for a short time, early in the 1st century AD or a little before.

Within the fort there are the remains of the stone foundations of eight circular huts, varying in internal diameter from 19 ft. to 32 ft.; but as the remains of several similar huts also occur outside the fort, it cannot be said with certainty whether or not those within it are contemporary with the defences. There was apparently little or no occupation during Roman times. Later, however, further defences were added on the slopes beyond the base of the knoll. The nearest of these defences to the original fort now appears as a grass-grown bank which runs northward from a point on the lip of the rocky S side of the top of the knoll, turns round the N and NE arcs of the early fort and ends near the rocky slope on the E side of the knoll. The distance of this bank from the wall of the fort varies from as little as 32 ft. on the

NW arc to as much as 155 ft. on the S. The bank was cut in three places (cuttings, V, VI, and X on plan); on the N (VI) it was entirely composed of earth and light soil, while on the W (V and X) it was constructed of large stones with, in some places, a well-built outer face in which upright stones formed the lowest courses and horizontal ones the next above them. This technique is not uncommon in structures of the Roman period or the Dark Age, such as Nos. 672 and 201 (RCAHMS 1956).

Within the space between this work and the wall of the original fort here are the remains of the circular huts, sixteen in number, that have been mentioned as resembling those within the fort. At a later stage, two additional defences consisting of intermittent earthen banks with internal ditches were built on relatively flat ground below the knoll to enclose the earlier structures. These, as can be seen on the plan, swing away from the knoll in a wide loop to the E and S, while on the W, where only one persists, it encloses the remains of four more circular houses. Excavation showed that these banks had been repaired or reconstructed at least once. At cutting VII the inner bank was found to be composed of earth and rubble with a certain amount of stone-facing on either side; a double row of stakes had been driven into the top of the bank at intervals of about 1 ft. The same cutting showed that the outer bank, too, was made of earth and rubble; some large blocks which protrude from the inner slope of this bank ar probably the remains of a face which has been robbed.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1950

A bead apparently of Dark Age type was found in a crevice on the rocky floor of one of the hut circles.

C M Piggott 1952

This fort is as described and generally as planned by RCAHMS.

Re-surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (JTT) 12 October 1965.