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Archaeology Notes

Event ID 720748

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/720748

NT81NE 31 from 86223 19210 to 85730 18380

(From NT 8622 1921 to NT 8597 1865 (then as ditch to NT 8573 1838)) Earthwork (NR)

OS 6" map, (1962).

A linear earthwork originates above a conspicuous waterfall, on the left bank of the Cheviot Burn, 1100 yds NE of Cocklawfoot house and runs thence SSE for 740 yds to the Kingseat Burn. It is certainly a land boundary (possibly that of medieval farmstead NT81NE 10, q.v.) and consists of a bank in which massive boulders appear from place ot place, with a ditch on its upper side. On its course, 200 yds from its NNE end, is found a homestead (NT81NE 4). The earthwork is evidently of later date than this, and it is tempting to suppose that the boundary which the earthwork no doubt represents was tied to the waterfall and the ruins of the homestead as two easily recognisable points. On the OS map, the line of the earthwork is continued from the Kingseat Burn to a point 340 yds SE of Cocklawfoot house. Cultivation has levelled the bank in this sector, but the course of the ditch is preserved by a modern field-drain.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1938 and 1945.

As described above.

Visited by OS (JLD) 24 August 1960.

No change to previous field report.

Visited by OS (RD) 27 June 1968.

No change

Visited by OS (TRG) 9 August 1976.

This boundary-bank, which cuts across the ground between the Cheviot and Kingseat burns some 220m E of their confluence, lies at the upper edge of gentle to moderate sloping ground below the moderately steep to steep E flank of Mallie Side. It comprises an earthen bank with massive boulders visible at intervals, with a ditch on the uphill, E, side. About 180m from its N end the earthwork oversails the enclosing bank of a settlement (NT81NE 4). Immediately S of the settlement there is an 8m break for a later track, after which the earthwork resumes. On the SW flank of Mallie Side, the boundary-bank crosses the line of a series of enclosures (NT81NE 10) related to the farmstead at Cheviot Burn (NT81NE 10).

The bank survives as an upstanding earthwork up to the modern field-boundary just N of the Kingseat Burn beyond which it has been levelled. The southward continuation of the bank is depicted on the OS 1:10560 map (1962) as an upstanding earthwork for some 90m up to a modern field-boundary at NT 8589 1848 from where the course of the feature is shown as a broken line for a further 240m to NT 8573 1838. A drainage channel preserves this course on the ground.

The earthwork is most probably a boundary-bank which the RCAHMS (1956) tentatively associated with a medieval farmstead (NT81NE 10).

Information from RJ Mercer (University of Edinburgh) 16 March 1986

RCAHMS MS 2598. No. 37/512

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References