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Enterkinfoot, Railway Embankment And Retaining Wall

Railway Embankment (19th Century), Wall (19th Century)

Site Name Enterkinfoot, Railway Embankment And Retaining Wall

Classification Railway Embankment (19th Century), Wall (19th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Durisdeer, Priestcrown Wood, Railway Embankment

Canmore ID 232444

Site Number NS80SE 80

NGR NS 8527 0482

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/232444

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Bluesky International Limited 2025. Public Sector Viewing Terms

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Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Dumfries And Galloway
  • Parish Durisdeer
  • Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
  • Former District Nithsdale
  • Former County Dumfries-shire

Archaeology Notes

NS80SE 80 8527 0482

Formerly entered as railway embankment (only) at NS 85288 04828.

Not to be confused with Enterkinfoot Viaduct (NS 85786 04308), for which see NS80SE 52.

Enterkinfoot Retaining Wall: NS 8519 0506. This massive wall adjoining the A76(T) road was built c. 1848 to accommodate the railway above on the steep slope of the Nith valley down to the river immediately below the road.

Information from Prof R Paxton, 24 February 2006.

The location (NS 8527 0482) assigned to this record remains unverified, as the length and extent of the wall cannot be determined from the available map and air photographic evidence.

Vertical air photography (RAF 541/A/549 4009-10, flown 12 June 1950) has recorded about 100m length of columnar walling between NS c. 8519 0491 and NS c. 8528 0473 on the E side of the A76 and within a wooded area of marked vertical relief.

The 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (GIS epoch 2) inserts what appears to be a walling symbol between NS 85277 04878 and NS 85309 04785.

The current OS (GIS) AIB Landline inserts a crenellated symbol between NS 85256 04866 and NS 85270 04840 and notes Sloping masonry [NAT] around NS 85274 04817, to the S.

The wall is not noted as such on the 1983 edition of the OS 1:10,000 map, but the above evidence is consistent with the construction of a retaining wall extending from NS c. 8519 0491 to NS c. 8528 0473, where this map depicts the road immediately below the railway embankment.

Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 8 March 2006.

Activities

Publication Account (2007)

This massive wall adjoining the A76(T) road was built in ca.1848 to accommodate the railway high above on the

steep slope down to the Nith which flows immediately below the road. The track is supported on stone backfill

behind and near the top of the wall.

This railway, built in competition with the Caledonian Railway line over Beattock summit, was opened in 1850.

Miller was the engineer. The resident engineer and contractor were probably the same as for the tunnel.

R Paxton and J Shipway 2007

Reproduced from 'Civil Engineering heritage: Scotland - Lowlands and Borders' with kind permission from Thomas Telford Publishers.

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