Archaeology Notes

Event ID 727249

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/727249

NY06NW 4 centred 02400 66870

(NY 02400 66870) Roman Fort (R) (Site of)

OS 6" map (1957)

This Roman fort, first noted by Pennant in 1772, was excavated in 1939 and 1949-50, when its position as shown on OS plan was confirmed. It measures 655' E-W by 510' transversely (over the centre of the 15' wide rampart). Beyond a 4' berm, there lay a 13-15' wide rock-cut ditch, 7-8' deep. A gate was found in the centre of the E ditch, where there was a 30' wide causeway over the ditch, and a heavily cobbled road led through the rampart, but no tutulus was found. The position of the other gates could not be ascertained by surface inspection, but a W gate may be assumed in a corresponding position. No small finds were made.

J K St Joseph 1952; A E Truckell 1952; 1950; J Roman Stud 1940; 1952

The portion of the N rampart to the W of the modern stone dyke is visible as a low, much spread mound, impossible to survey. Otherwise there are no traces of this fort visible. Mr Truckell, Dumfries Museum, states that the course of the road leading up to this fort is visible on RAF APs, to the S of the fort.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 11 August 1965

Aerial observation in 1976 has shown that this fort is linked to the fort to its S (NY06NW 5) by a ditch system broken by a titulum-type entrance. This suggests that the hill fort was incorporated as a defensive feature for a brief period, perhaps during Agricola's invasion. (Information from G D B Jones, Manchester University)

R Goodburn 1978

Possibly at most some kind of semi-permanent work, if not indeed designed for use on manoeuvres.

G S Maxwell and D R Wilson 1987

The identification of titula (as many as 4 at one gate) on AP's of 1984 gives good grounds for questioning the traditional identification of this site as a fort; a more ephemeral purpose would seem to have been served.

Information G S Maxwell 1990.