Archaeology Notes

Event ID 723027

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/723027

NW95NE 1 9754 5983.

(NW 9754 5983) Fort (NR)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

'Kemp's Walk'. A fort occupying a large promontory, probably defended by a continuous wall or rampart with an outer one to the north, east and south of it. The main defences lie to the north or landward of the fort where the inner and second ramparts are accompanied by external ditches and are strengthened by the presence of a third rampart and ditch. There is an entrance towards the east: the outer rampart and ditch do not continue east of it.

This large fort is perhaps not typical of the Galloway promontory forts, but mere absence of erosion may be the explanation in part of its apparently extraordinary size.

R W Feachem 1963

The hillock (NW 9744 5983) which is connected on the east to the fort by a narrow neck appears to have been the site of a hut circle.

RCAHMS 1912

This promontory fort is as described by Feachem. There is a small mutilated hollow on top of the conical hillock at NW 9744 5983 but it appears to be natural: there is no other evidence of a 'hut-circle'. Revised at 25".

Visited by OS (WDJ) 20 February 1968

'Kemp's Walk': anglicised by (Ainslie and) the original OS surveyor to 'Kemp's Wark'.

A Agnew 1893

This fort, which measures 83m by 44.5m internally, is situated on a promontory on the degraded cliff-line about 500m WSW of Little Larbrax farmsteading. The neck of the promontory was cut off by multiple earthworks comprising three ramparts and two ditches to the NW of the entrance and two ramparts with a medical ditch to the S; the E flank may have been protected by the continuation of the twin ramparts but all trace has been removed by a modern pathway which leads from the entrance to the tip of the promontory. There are no remains of ramparts above the steep slopes on the S and W.

RCAHMS 1985, visited February 1985.

Name Book; RCAHMS 1912.