Broxy Kennels

The site of this fort is revealed by cropmarks on the crest of a sinuous ridge of glacial gravels and sands overlooking the A9 carriageway at the apex of the first major westward meander in the River Tay N of Perth. Roughly oval on plan, with a hollow forming a shallow re-entrant in the N flank of the ridge distorting the shape a little on this side, the interior measures about 95m from ENE to WSW by 50m transversely (0.3ha) within a multivallate defence which is most clearly defined to either side of the entrance on the NE, where no fewer than four ditches are visible. The third of these ditches appears to be an enhancement of the defences adjacent to the entrance, petering out into the re-entrant on the N, but traces of the other three ditches extend along this side, and the two inner ones certainly complete the circuit around the SW and SE. The ill-defined character of the cropmarks in these other sectors may have obscured other entrances, though there was possibly a gap in the circuit on the W, and another in the second ditch on the W, immediately N of the point where the third ditch apparently turns inwards to flank its S side; if this was indeed an entrance, it is blocked by the inner ditch, suggesting some depth to the chronology of the defences. Other hints that the defences have been remodelled on at least one occasion, can be seen in the projecting lobes on the terminals of particularly the inner and third ditches on the NE side of the entrance, which suggest episodes of re-cutting. No features can be distinguished in the interior, but the bleached outline of the wallhead of a souterrain can be detected in the second ditch on the NE side of the entrance, probably representing an occupation in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD after the defences had gone out of use.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 October 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3013

NO 09323 28717 – NO 09591 26595 and NO 09248 27310 – NO 14806 27228 A watching brief was carried out by Guard Archaeology on 12–23 March 2018, during ground investigation works for thenew road. A total of 21 trial pits were monitored along the proposed route, but no finds or features of archaeological significance were recorded.

Magnitude Surveys was commissioned by Guard Archaeology to assess the subsurface archaeological potential of a 30.6ha area of land along a c. 5.6km linear corridor for the proposed route of the Cross Tay Link Road. The survey took place between 13th - 19th March, 2018. A fluxgate magnetometer survey was successfully completed across the majority of the corridor. Two areas (Area C and Area o) could not be surveyed due to unsafe ground conditions. The geophysical survey has identified the location and partial morphology of a potential prehistoric hillfort at the western end, and a number of additional anomalies across the site have tentatively been interpreted as possibly archaeological in origin. Primarily, the geophysical results reflect variations in the superficial geology, limited medieval or post medieval relict ploughing, as well as historic and modern field boundaries. There is limited interference from extant field boundaries, historic quarrying and buried drainage features. Superficial deposits of magnetically-enhanced gravel with an igneous parent rock in some parts of the site may have obscured some weaker pit deposits, but a number of broad or consistent anomalies have successfully been identified within these deposits.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: BAM Ritchies

Information from: Claire Shaw (Guard Archaeology) 29th May 2018

OASIS ID: guardarc1-313003

NO 09108 27875 (centred) Following an initial metal-detecting survey of the 1.9ha development area at Broxy Kennels Fort, a monitored topsoil strip and excavation was conducted. The topsoil strip revealed up to four ditches encircling the hill, a souterrain and a series of pits and postholes across the interior and exterior of the fort. Over the course of the strip and excavation, several previously unknown sections of ditch and other features were revealed, along with a complex stratigraphic sequence of colluvium and hillwash pre-dating and post-dating phases of the fort, particularly on the S side of the hill. Finds included Bronze Age, Iron Age and medieval pottery, a possible Bronze Age axe fragment, a medieval dagger pommel and medieval penannular brooch. This phase of archaeological mitigation work was conducted as part of the wider Cross Tay Link Road Project.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: Perth and Kinross Council

Kenneth Green, John-James Atkinson and Christina Mollie Dogherty – GUARD Archaeology Ltd

(Source: DES Volume 23)