Archaeology Notes

Event ID 730147

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/730147

NY38SE 7 3786 8145

See also NY38SE 89.

(NY 3781 8140) ROMAN FORT (R) (Remains of)

OS 6" map (1957)

This fort was discovered in 1950 by R W Feachem and since excavated by C M Daniels of Newcastle University and A E Truckell. It is of three periods, Flavian I, Flavian II, and possible Hadrianic, over an earlier ditch with large boulders perhaps toppled from a native rampart. Occupation earlier thought to be Antonine now seems unlikey.

Flavian I: Two ditches surround the 22 ft turf rampart of a fort c. 575 ft by 325 ft, with S annexe 360 ft by 200ft.

Flavian II: Found with certainty on S. An undated ditch on N, if belonging to this period, would define an area 680 ft long.

Perid III: The final fortlet measured 325 ft by 270 ft with a ditch 14 ft wide and 4 ft deep (D R Wilson 1965).

The excavation revealed hearths, and pottery, glass and cereal grains were found, while G Macdonald (1918) mentions six gold coins (3 Nero, 2 Vespasian and 1 Domitian) from here. Elsewhere in the field are ancient roads and field banks. Roads which pass either side of the fort were sectioned. That on the W proved to be 18th century; the one on the E is much older and has been destroyed in places by early modern and medieval works. (Visible on APs 541/RAF/A/524 F20:3141-2)

NSA 1841 (W B Shaw and W Brown); R W Feachem 1950; 1951; Trans Dumfriesshire Galloway Natur Hist Antiq Soc 1962; A E Truckell 1956; 1960; D R Wilson 1962; 1963; J Roman Stud 1957

The native occupation, represented by traces of post-holes and ditches underlying the Flavian I rampart on the E side, seems to have been levelled by the Flavian I fort. This in its turn was dismantled, as its N gate showed. The Flavian II fort probably followed after a short delay, and the final occupation of the site, the Hadrianic fortlet, ended in destruction, although details of its date and duration are obscure.

C M Daniels TS. Report 1964 (NMRS MS/324).

Centred NY 3786 8145. The denuded remains of this Roman fort lie on the southerly slopes of Broomholm Knowe at 122m OD. The SW corner is the principal surviving feature and comprises a 1.5m high scarp with a double bank and ditch; this however, has been mutilated, possibly by the excavation. The easterly extent of the work is defined by steep natural slopes and there is no surface evidence of a bank or ditch.

A 160.0m long, 0.5m deep ditch indicates the western limit of the fort; however, it is not possible to deduce which of the ditches this represents. This is similarly the case with two 0.4m deep ditches which run along the N side and are roughly parallel with the approximate line of the S side which is indicated by a scarp.

The hillslope has been extensively cultivated and there are numerous drainage ditches in addition to the courses of the old roads and a large man-made pond; these factors make ground interpretation of the site very difficult.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (MJF) 5 October 1979