Accessibility

Font Size

100% 150% 200%

Background Colour

Default Contrast
Close Reset

Ben Effrey

Fort (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Ben Effrey

Classification Fort (Period Unassigned)

Canmore ID 26073

Site Number NN91SE 4

NGR NN 9802 1153

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/26073

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

Toggle Aerial | View on large map

Digital Images

Administrative Areas

  • Council Perth And Kinross
  • Parish Auchterarder
  • Former Region Tayside
  • Former District Perth And Kinross
  • Former County Perthshire

Archaeology Notes

NN91SE 4 9802 1153

(NN 9802 1152) Earthwork (NR)

OS 6" map, (1959)

A fort on the top of Ben Effrey has natural defences on three sides, particularly on the W which is precipitous. Access is easy from the ridge descending upon it from the S and it is overlooked from the summit D, of a little elevation on the ridge, 250ft from the interior of the fort. The S end was defenced by the parallel drystone walls BC, now cast down 12ft apart and occupying a width of 60ft with an entrance on the SE. The steep faces of the E side and N end show traces of three or four terraces in continuation of the defences.

D Christison 1900.

Generally as described by Christison. The walls defending the south side are now reduced to mere scarps.

Visited by OS (W D J), 15 June 1967.

Activities

Field Visit (27 April 1956)

This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.

Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.

Field Visit (15 June 1967)

Generally as described by Christison. The walls defending the south side are now reduced to mere scarps.

Visited by OS (W D J) 15 June 1967.

Aerial Photography (February 1971)

Aerial Photography (1982)

Aerial Photography (12 July 2005)

Aerial Photography (22 October 2008)

Excavation (1 August 2011 - 21 August 2011)

NN 9802 1153 As part of the SERF project an excavation and survey was undertaken 1–21 August 2011. A topographic survey of the fort, with readings taken at least every 2m, was undertaken using a Leica 407 Total Station. A single trench, 30m long by 2 wide, was then excavated across the most well-defined area of the ramparts on the S side of Ben Effrey Hillfort.

The outermost rampart consisted of an earthen bank made of material excavated from an outer ditch. A narrow palisade trench discovered under the back of the rampart suggested that a timber structure would have supported this rampart during construction. The foundation of the middle rampart was composed of huge boulders packed with redeposited natural. The upper part of this rampart had been heavily disturbed and some of the stone core had collapsed downslope. The innermost rampart was composed of boulders carefully knitted together with smaller stones. Pockets of charcoal and ash amongst the stones in the core suggested that timber was also used within the rampart. Traces of a rough cobble surface were recorded immediately behind the inner rampart in the interior of the fort.

Archive: University of Glasgow (currently) and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland and University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow, 2011

Project (29 June 2011 - 4 July 2011)

NN 9802 1153 (Ben Effrey) and NN 9760 1271 (Castle Craig) A geophysical survey was carried out over the two hillforts, 29 June–4 July 2011, prior to excavation (see entry below).

Ben Effrey A gradiometry survey using a Dual Bartington Grad601 was conducted across the length of the fort (c5600m2). The ramparts were most clearly detected on the S side of the hill and each gave a different response. The innermost rampart was defined by a strong positive magnetic signal with a halo of negative magnetism. The responses of the middle and outer ramparts were discontinuous and characterised by a few strong anomalies. An outer ditch and a possible counterscarp were recorded parallel to the outer rampart. A circular area of variable magnetism was recorded just within the inner rampart, and this may reflect an area of activity. No definitive structures were identified in the interior of the fort.

Castle Craig Both a gradiometry survey and a resistivity survey (using an RM 15) were conducted over Castle Craig Hillfort. The gradiometry survey over the summit of the hill, where there is a grass covered bank, clearly defined the edges of this feature. Within the interior of the enclosure the magnetic responses were variable and quite strong, particularly across an area visible as a raised platform on the ground. Immediately outside the entrance of the enclosure there were several other strong magnetic anomalies, suggesting activity outside of the enclosure. Further downslope the second of the outer banks also produced a distinct and strong variable magnetic response. Overall the resistivity survey generally defined areas of higher resistance associated with the enclosure on the summit of the hill.

Archive: University of Glasgow (currently) and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland and University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow, 2011

Resistivity (29 June 2011 - 4 July 2011)

NN 9802 1153 (Ben Effrey) and NN 9760 1271 (Castle Craig)

Resistivity survey.

Archive: University of Glasgow (currently) and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland and University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow, 2011

Magnetometry (29 June 2011 - 4 July 2011)

NN 9802 1153 (Ben Effrey) and NN 9760 1271 (Castle Craig)

A gradiometry survey was conducted across both sites.

Archive: University of Glasgow (currently) and RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland and University of Glasgow

University of Glasgow, 2011

Note (24 December 2014 - 13 December 2016)

This fort occupies the summit of Ben Effrey, a conical summit forming the NW spur of Beld Hill. The ground falls away sharply into steep rock-strewn slopes and screes along its SW and N flanks, and the only easy line of access is across the shallow saddle to the ESE. A belt of defences about 25m deep, comprising the remains of three ramparts, the outer accompanied by an external ditch, has been drawn across this flank, turning sharply back along the N margin to enclose a wedge-shaped area measuring a maximum of 60m in length from ESE to WNW by 38m transversely (0.21ha). A well-formed and deeply hollowed entrance-way pierces the defences immediately S of the NE corner. The interior is featureless, running up onto rough outcrops at its W extremity. In 2011 a geophysical survey was carried out and an evaluation trench excavated across the defences close to the SW margin. This showed that whereas the innermost was constructed of boulders and small stones and may have incorporated timberwork, the middle rampart was composed of massive boulders in a matrix of re-deposited subsoil, while beneath the tail of the outermost, which was largely earthen, there was evidence of a foundation trench for a palisade (Poller 2011).

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 13 December 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC2648

Field Visit (13 April 2016)

This multivallate fort is situated in rough pasture at the NW end of a high, steep-sided spur extending from Beld Hill, which is located on the northern edge of the Ochil Hills. It is overlooked by higher ground to the SE to which it is joined by a narrow saddle, but it has a fine outlook over Strathearn. The fort, which is D-shaped on plan, measures 65m from NW to SE by up to 39m transversely within three grass-grown lines of defence on both the NE and SE flanks of the spur, while a steep rocky precipice protects the SW. It is clear that these earthworks have been extensively modified on the SE on at least one occasion in the past and all have been reduced by erosion.

The innermost defence consists of a low rampart on the SE, with a substantial outer scarp. It measures up to 4m thick and 0.7m high, but gradually expands to 7m thick as it runs NNE from the precipice towards the entrance in the E, where it ends in a round stony terminal. A similar, but much slighter terminal marks the N side of the entrance, but the inner rampart thereafter is reduced to a narrow terrace above a steep scarp up to 3m thick and 1.6m high on the NE. A palisade slot, measuring 0.8m broad and 0.2m deep, runs from the terminal along the crest of this terrace for about 30m, before stopping abruptly at the foot of the rocky outcrop that occupies the NW sector of the fort. However, the rampart continues beyond this point and after rounding the outcrop it turns S to meet the precipice once more.

The medial defence, which is situated below the inner rampart, is marked by a terrace on the SE, measuring up to 6m broad and 1.7m high. Its outer scarp is revetted by a line of spaced boulders that gives way to a low rampart about 12m from the entrance. The zone between this and the foot of the inner rampart is occupied by another line of spaced boulders which fades out about 4m SSW of a point where the inner rampart begins to expand as it approaches the entrance. What may be a continuation of these parallel lines of boulders occurs on the N side of the entrance, where a short palisade slot is situated behind the inner line immediately N of the entrance passage. The inner line of boulders continues for a further 17m around the NE side of the fort, where the principal defence is marked by a rampart which is reduced to a level terrace 3m broad above a steep scarp 1.2m high. This follows the line of the upper rampart and also terminates at the precipice.

The outer defence consists of a rampart and ditch, but the former fades into the steep natural slope about half-way along the spur's NE flank, while the latter, which is rock-cut and largely infilled, is unfinished immediately N of the entrance. Where best preserved, the rampart measures up to 4.5m thick and 2m high, while the ditch measures 2.8m broad and 0.15m deep.

There is a simple entrance up to 4m wide passing through the defences at the E corner of the fort. It is lined on both sides with large boulders, but there is a notable rise at the point where it crosses through the inner rampart and enters the fort. The interior is relatively level SE of the rocky outcrop, which supports a recent cairn measuring 1.5m in diameter and 0.6m high; but otherwise no internal features are visible.

The evolution of the fort and its defences may be complex, but it is plain that at some point the ramparts on the SE were knocked down and replaced by palisades.

Visited by HES (ATW, GG), 13 April 2016.

Project (1 May 2016 - 12 May 2017)

Archaeological features were identified and mapped from airborne remote sensing sources, such as lidar, historic vertical aerial photographs, and 25cm orthophotographs.

Information from HES (OA) 12 May 2017

References

MyCanmore Image Contributions


Contribute an Image

MyCanmore Text Contributions