Archaeology Notes

Event ID 728034

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/728034

NX33NE 2 3696 3932.

(NX 3696 3932) Earthwork (NR)

OS 6" map (1957)

Promontory Fort, Back Bay: A small promontory has been defended by cutting a 28' wide ditch across its neck, 125' broad. On top of the scarp are the foundations, and a few facing stones of an 8' thick wall. A 9' wide causeway crosses the ditch, 23' from the S cliff edge. Behind the entrance, a hollow appears to mark the line of a passage between two walls for 48', c 7' wide for 40' of its length, and then narrowing. Near its end a large slab rises 1' above the turf, facing across it. N of the passage, immediately behind the rampart, there appears to have been a rectangular enclosure 28' x 26', but the surface indications are too vague to be certain, behind this, where the promontory falls away to the sea, there is a small plateau, 22' in diameter, which has apparently been levelled.

Possibly the 8' thick stone wall, and the foundations in the interior represent a secondary occupation of the site, perhaps medieval.

RCAHMS 1912, visited 1911; TS., visited 1955

Generally as described. The promontory measures 56.5m N-S by 23.0m E-W within the bank and ditch. The remains are sited on a seaward sloping promontory, the smallness of which suggests a homestead rather than a fort. The internal features are too slight to positively identify

Revised at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (DWR) 2 February 1973

Site recorded during a coastal erosion assessment of the N shore of the Solway Firth undertaken on behalf of Historic Scotland.Back Bay promontory fort (NMRS NX33NE 2) was studied in order to illustrate the range of coastal erosion processes affecting different sites.

A full report will be lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

M Cressey and R Toolis 1997