Doune, Roman Fort And Annexe

An aerial transcription was produced from oblique aerial photographs. Information from Historic Environment Scotland (BM) 31 March 2017.

Watching briefs were maintained at two sites in the vicinity of Doune Castle during the Forth Valley Sewer Renewal Project, undertaken by East of Scotland Water. The areas affected were the driveway leading southwards to the Castle itself, and an area to the W of Doune Fire Station, in the vicinity of the Flavian fort discovered in 1984 by aerial reconnaissance.

Four trenches, each measuring c.2 x 2m, were opened along the driveway, to remove the existing sewer and to install a new pipeline. The trenches revealed recently disturbed horizons associated with the fitting of the earlier sewer, although the southernmost trench, nearest the castle, revealed possible evidence for a denuded earthen bank or platform.

A single trench of c.150m length and up to 2m wide was excavated to the W of the Fire Station, along the top of a steep slope down to a small tributary of the River Teith. Nothing of archaeological significance was revealed, and the site of the Roman fort was not affected. The slope was demonstrated to be a natural profile, with some recent landscaping associated with the construction of the modern housing scheme to the E.

Sponsor: Historic Scotland

G Ewart and A Dunn 1999

Kirkdale Archaeology

NN 72770 01340 A 10 x 8.5 m area was excavated in advance of construction of an extension to Doune Primary School, which lies within the interior of the Roman fort. Foundations of a timber building were partially revealed, which is provisionally interpreted as a barracks block. A layer of burnt material overlying the foundation trenches, which may relate to the destruction of the building, produced a small finds assemblage which appears consistent with the Flavian date previously assigned to the fort at Doune. Two other foundation trenches on a different alignment are thought to represent an earlier phase of buildings associated with the fort.

Information from: Andrea Smith - Headland Archaeology

NN 7280 0136

An excavation was carried out 26–27 August 2010 in a garden to the E of Doune Primary School, in advance of a proposed development by Stirling Council. The

majority of the excavated remains relate to a Roman fort that dates to the Flavian occupation of Scotland between AD 80 and 86–7. Some features, including a ditch and postholes, predate the fort and are thought to be prehistoric. A full section through the defences on the NE side of the fort was exposed, revealing three ditches and remains of the turf rampart. Cobbled surfaces relating to the intervallum road were recorded. A group of shallow pits between the road

and the rampart contained evidence for metalworking. In the interior of the fort, part of a timber building was excavated which is interpreted as a cavalry barracks block. Numerous large pits were excavated inside the building and between it and the rampart. The pits inside the building probably post-date its main phase of occupation, and may represent gravel quarrying or improvised latrines, pointing

to a partial abandonment of the fort.

Archive: RCAHMS

Funder: Stirling Council

P Masser 2010

OASIS ID: headland1-84578

NN 727 012

Resistance and magnetic surveys were conducted on the parts of the Roman fort which have not been built upon, along with an external area to the E. The data obtained was partly obscured by interference from modern features, such as fences, pipes, paths and a cricket square, but a reasonable view was obtained.

The work revealed the SW and NW gates, to add to the known SE gate and although the remaining (NE) gate could not be covered, it was possible to extrapolate its position to beneath the main entrance gate to Doune Primary School. Past aerial and excavated indications that the fort had a triple ditch system were confirmed and, unusually, this now seems likely to have passed around all four sides. Moreover, the NW gate had a so-called ‘parrot beak’ ditch

break, to parallel that already known at the SE gate. The SW gate was located approximately one third of the way along the fort’s long axis from the E, which suggests that the praetentura lies in the E and that the fort faces SE, down the Teith valley. Sections of the rampart were visible in the magnetic data, and appeared to show inward turns at the gates, so that the gates themselves would have lain at the end of rampart re-entrants. This seems to be becoming a regular feature of forts with parrot beak ditch breaks and makes sense as a defence mechanism; since the ever narrower funnel produced would disrupt an attacking formation. Inside the fort, areas of what seemed to be the internal street grid

could be identified. A series of circular features immediately behind the rampart were probably ovens. A radar timeslice (15 x 15m) and profile (25m) in the SE corner of the fort confirmed the line of an internal street and a section of the

intervallum road. Outside the fort, a small group of ring features at the top of a steep bank that slopes down to the Ardoch Burn may represent roundhouses.

Archive: RCAHMS and The Roman Gask Project

Funder: Historic Scotland

DJ Woolliscroft and O O'Grady 2010

On 15th May 2012 Alder Archaeology undertook a watching brief (Alder code DE01) on the site of excavations required for a buried low voltage cable and associated new wooden pole and stay. The site was considered to have archaeological potential due to its close proximity to the 14th century Doune Castle and the nearby Roman Fort. Spoil from the excavation was scanned for finds with a metal detector. A fragment of a medieval spur and some pieces of leather were recovered from the excavation for the stay pit. Apart from the spur, nothing of archaeological significance was found during the watching brief. The work was fully funded by Scottish and Southern Energy.

Information from Oasis (alderarc1-127375) 2 September 2013

NN 7287 0126 An archaeological watching brief was conducted during the upgrade and widening of a 95m length of existing core path and formation of a new stepped ramp at Doune Castle and Roman Fort, Stirling.

Excavation of the pathway to Doune village reached a maximum depth of 0.15m, removing only topsoil that yielded several modern iron objects and one Scottish bawbee coin upon metal detecting. Footpath formation along the Doune Castle driveway encountered the former road surface atop natural subsoil at a depth of 0.30m. The construction of a stepped ramp excavated into the embankment, east of the Roman fort. The section comprised heavily bioturbated topsoil atop natural subsoil to a maximum height of 2.1m. No significant archaeological features or deposits were observed or disturbed.

Information from CFA Archaeology Ltd 2021.

OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-417198

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed and changed from FORT ANNEXE (ROMAN)(POSSIBLE), ROMAN FORT (ROMAN), AMPHORA (ROMAN), BEAD (ROMAN), BLADE (ROMAN), BOTTLE (ROMAN), BRACELET (ROMAN), BROOCH (ROMAN), COIN (ROMAN), CRUCIBLE (ROMAN), HARNESS FITTING (ROMAN), NAIL (ROMAN), ORGANIC MATERIAL (ROMAN), POT (ROMAN.