Fendoch
Redoubt (Roman), Temporary Camp (Roman)(Possible)
Site Name Fendoch
Classification Redoubt (Roman), Temporary Camp (Roman)(Possible)
Canmore ID 26143
Site Number NN92NW 3
NGR NN 9168 2878
NGR Description From NN 9168 2878 to NN 918 285
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/26143
- Council Perth And Kinross
- Parish Fowlis Wester
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Perth And Kinross
- Former County Perthshire
NN92NW 3 9168 2878 to 918 285.
(NN 918 285) Roman Camp (R) (Site of).
(NN 9168 2878) Redoubt (R)
OS 6" map (1901)
(NN 9168 2878) Earthwork (NR)
OS 6" map (1958)
There is very little of this camp to be seen, the most complete part of it is a redoubt north of the road. The extent of the camp was pointed out by Mr Stewart who remembered its form 30 years ago when the trenches were not so much defaced as at the present time.
The 'redoubt' and the alleged marching-camp both first appear in a plan of 1778 where the 'redoubt' is marked as an excrescence on the larger camp. The existing remains of the 'redoubt' consist of a bank 70 yds. long with a ditch on the north and two rounded corners, and the remains of two other sides, 23 yds long on the east. In the middle of the north side the bank is broken, more or less, by a gap 10 yds. wide, from the east end of which runs a stony bank, 8 yds long, towards the interior. It is possibly Roman, but attached 'redoubts' have no place in the design of a Roman marching camp, even supposing the one here to be authenticated.
Richmond and McIntyre suggest that the alleged Roman camp is native. The earthworks were, in 1936, "scarcely visible to an untrained eye".
Name Book 1860; O G S Crawford 1949; I A Richmond and J McIntyre 1936
The only possible remains of the alleged Roman Camp are:-
(1) a 100.0m length (NE/SW) of broken, turf-covered walling centred on NN 9140 2852; but this is almost certainly the remains of an old field wall. (2) A ditch about 20.0m long x 6.0m wide x 1.0m deep with a bank 0.6m high on its west side, centred on NN 9193 2857 and (3) a slight terrace centred on NN 9209 2850, on the north face of a promontory.
The irregular perimeter outline of the earthwork encloses an area of rough undulating ground and it seems hardly likely that it could have been a Roman Camp.
The remains of the 'redoubt' are generally as described by Crawford although there is no break in the north side. It is set back from the steep south slope above the Reiver Almond, at the foot of a steep scarp to the south to which it may originally have been connected prior to the construction of the modern road. There is no evidence to suggest that it was associated with or attached to the alleged camp and its date and purpose could not be ascertained from ground observations.
Surveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (RD) 23 December 1966.
Field Visit (25 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.
Archaeological Evaluation (8 April 2015 - 14 April 2016)
A programme of archaeological work was undertaken at various times, 8 April 2015 – 14 April 2016, at a range of locations during work associated with the construction of an overhead powerline.
NN 9169 2877 (Code:17) NN92NW 3 An evaluation and watching brief were undertaken, 8 April – 9 July 2015, in Glen Almond, near Crieff, in advance of the construction of scaffolding for a safety net road crossing. The evaluation concentrated on a previously recorded earthwork enclosure
just to the N of the B8063 and a hillslope to the S of the same road. A total of seven trenches were excavated covering 160.8m2. The bank and ditch forming the enclosure were found to be more ephemeral than originally thought while no archaeology was uncovered in the internal area. The date
and function of the enclosure was not determined.
NN 83936 11103 and NN 83664 10616 (Code:4000161) NN80NW 10 A watching brief was undertaken, 12 March – 12 May 2016, within the scheduled monument of Ardoch, Roman Military Complex 900m NNE of Ardoch Bridge (SM1601) as part of work to remove existing overhead line towers and wooden poles. No finds or features of archaeological significance were recorded.
NN 91249 36027 to NN 92482 29182 (Code:4408161) NN93NW 4 A watching brief was carried out, 3 October 2013 – 14 April 2016, during groundwork relating to the formation of a site compound, an underground cable
corridor and a new tower at the S end of the route. A series of field banks and dry stone walls were recorded in various states of preservation where they were divided by the underground cable route while three small clearance cairns were also uncovered.
NN 89785 33892 (Code: 4414161) An evaluation was undertaken, 31 March – 4 April 2014, at Corrymuckloch, S of Amluree, during work associated with the laying of an underground cable. The three evaluation trenches covered 20.5m2 and targeted a possible building, an adjacent mound and a probable clearance cairn, which had been identified during previous walkover surveys of the area. The remains of a likely stone and turf shieling were uncovered, while an adjacent mound was found to have a cup-marked stone at its centre with later field clearance stacked on and around it. The third trench identified a small clearance cairn of unknown date.
NN 76470 58901 (Code: 4385161) A watching brief was carried out, 19–28 November 2013, during work associated with the laying of an underground cable. No finds or features of archaeological significance were recorded.
Archive: NRHE (intended)
Funder: Scottish and Southern Energy Ltd/Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc
Steven Black, Peta Glew and Andrew Gallacher – Northlight Heritage
(Source: DES, Volume 17)
