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Deuchny Wood

Fort (Prehistoric), Cup (Stone)(Period Unknown)

Site Name Deuchny Wood

Classification Fort (Prehistoric), Cup (Stone)(Period Unknown)

Alternative Name(s) Deuchny Wood; Grassy Law; Seven Airts

Canmore ID 28217

Site Number NO12SE 3

NGR NO 1522 2367

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/28217

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

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

Archaeology Notes

NO12SE 3 1522 2367.

(NO 1522 2367) Hill Fort, Deuchny Wood. The site consists of a rocky plateau rising to a height of 760 feet, once known as Grassy Law, or the Seven Airts, upon which the fort is set, with two other flat areas at lower levels breaking the ridge to the west. The more or less continuous rampart, composed entirely of glacial material set on the edge of the plateau encloses an area 96 yards long and 44 yards wide. Prominent among the rampart material are many round white boulders which may have been specially selected. The wall is most distinct at the east end. At the west end there seem to have been additional ramparts as two lines of stones curve across the lower plateau touching, on the north, a double line of stones which may represent an access road.

The entrance, with a slight return on its north wall, is at the south east end. A track marked by large stones at irregular intervals near the entrance leads down the slope, which seems to have cut into only at a point some 10 feet from the entrance. At the foot of the slope the hollow track seems to be protected by large stones forming a chevaux-de-frise, and then it turns north along the hill side, passing by intermittent terracing below the north side of the fort, where stones appear on both sides. At one point at the east end of the fort the track has been obliterated by land slip and on the north slope it has been obscured by timber hauling. Water may have been obtained from two hollows within the main fort, or from a dried-up spring (NO 1552 2381) marked on estate maps as Butter Well.

Marked on the plan are the sites of the following finds:-

A. Stone mortar of andesite found on site of 1918 peace celebration bonfire - Perth Museum No. 2164;

B - Quartzite hammer Stone - Perth Museum No. 2219;

C - Quartzite hammer stone;

D - Split granite hammerstone; E. Jet fragment, possibly from an armlet about 4 inches diameter - Perth Museum No. 2294;

F,G- Flint flakes;

H - Two crystals with worked ends;

K.- Semi-vitrified stone from hearth at east end of fort;

L - Pieces of vitrified stone;

M - Four pieces of calcined bone.

R R B Watson 1923.

Hillfort. Mentioned by the name of "Iqudonbeg" in 1403.

Information from M E C Stewart 29 August 1953 and from Mss of c 15th century 'Scone perambulations' (transcribed by D E Easson) held in Sandeman library in Perth; R R B Watson 1929.

Activities

Field Visit (24 August 1954)

No trace of fort seen. Area densely afforested.

Visited by OS (B M B) 25 August 1954.

Field Visit (8 November 1963)

Of the finds listed by R R B Watson (1923), only 'A' is in Perth Museum, Accession no. 2164, its proposed new number is 111.

Visited by OS (E G C) 8 November 1963.

Field Visit (22 November 1963)

Centred No 1522 2367. This fort occupies the summit of a rocky plateau. The slight remains of a single rampart running round the edge of the plateau enclosing an oval shaped area c. 80.0m E-W by c 40.0m N-S. Two short lengths of the rampart exist as turf covered mounds on either side of the entrance which is in the SE segment. The course of the rampart can be traced round the north and south sides of the fort where a few stones protrude from the ground but the course round the west end is vague and uncertain. The additional ramparts and possible access roads at the west end of the fort were not located, being obscured by the dense woodlands. At the base of the eastern slopes of the plateau are the remains of a short stretch of mound with a slight ditch on its west side. This low spread mound is c. 7.0m wide by c. 0.5m maximum height. The terracing chevaux de frise and hollow track described by R R B Watson (1923) are now obscured by the mature woodlands. The "soaks" for gathering water within the main fort (R R B Watson 1923) are natural hollows in the rocky surface of the ground.

Surveyed at 1/2500.

Visited by OS (W D J) 22 November 1963.

Field Visit (16 May 1989)

The poorly-preserved remains of this fort are situated on a low hog-backed rise within Deuchny Wood. The fort now lies within a clearing, but was formerly wooded, and the removal of timber has resulted in severe erosion of the earthworks.

It is oval, with internal dimensions of about 80m from WNW to ESE by up to 40m transversely. The rampart (up to 5m in thickness and 0.4m in height) is preserved only on the E, where it runs along the crest of a steep slope. At the bottom of this slope there is a short stretch of ditch, measuring 5m in breadth and 0.4m in depth, accompanied by a counterscarp bank, which measures up to 4.5m in thickness and 0.4m in height. The position of the original entrance is probably indicated by a narrow gap in the surviving stretch of rampart on the E, but a trackway, which cuts obliquely up the SW flank of the rise was certainly utilised, if not made, by tree-fellers.

The two terraces on the W indicated by Watson are natural, and no artificial structures were noted upon them. Of the artefacts listed as being found in and around the fort, only the stone cup (Perth Museum PMAG 2164) is preserved.

Visited by RCAHMS (JRS) 16 May 1989.

R R B Watson 1923.

Note (8 May 2015 - 24 December 2016)

The remains of this fort are situated on the northernmost of the summits making up Deuchny Hill. Roughly oval on plan, but tapering towards the E, it measures about 90m from E to W by a maximum of 40m transversely (0.3ha) within a rampart that was probably once continuous around the crest of the hillock but is now clearly visible only at the E end. Nothing is visible of outer lines of walling identified in 1922 by Thomas McLaren and R Boog Watson on the upper of two natural terraces on the W flank of the hillock, but a ditch some 5m in breadth by 0.4m in depth, with a counterscarp rampart 4.5m in thickness by 0.4m in height, extends round the foot of the slope on the E. A narrow gap in inner rampart on the E probably marks the position of the entrance, whereas a trackway that climbs the slope to the summit on the SW is likely to be more recent, resulting from forestry operations. The interior is featureless, but following a bonfire to celebrate peace at the end of WW1 Watson picked up a stone cup or lamp, several hammerstones, a fragment of probably shale bracelet, a few worked pieces of quartz and flint, and pieces of what he believed was vitrified stone; only the cup survives (PMAG 2164).

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 24 December 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3039

Measured Survey (5 February 2016 - 6 February 2016)

NO 15266 23679 (NO12SE 3) A topographic survey of the hillfort in Deuchny Wood was undertaken, 5–6 February 2016, as part of the Tay Landscape Partnership. The fort occupies the summit of a long low rise which is steep sided to the N and S with more gentle slopes to the E and W. Two lower

terraces lie to the W on the same ridge as the fort. The fort now lies in a clearing, but has been previously forested, and the felling and removal of timber have severely affected the earthworks. The fort itself comprises a grassed over rampart that can be traced around the eastern end of the summit and encloses an area of 0.14ha. The rampart is preserved only in

the E where it runs along the crest of the knoll and is up to 7m thick and 0.4m high.

An entrance lies in the E, indicated by a gap 2.4m wide, in the surviving stretch of rampart. On either side of the entrance passage are a number of large stones that may be in situ facing stones of the rampart. An area of protruding bedrock on the outer edge of the northern rampart terminal

appears to have been quarried and terraced. A number of large stones lie on the continuation of the line of the entrance; however, they do not form a coherent structure and may be tumble from the rampart. At the bottom of the slope below the entrance there is a short stretch of ditch measuring 7m in width and 0.5m in depth. Lying outside of this ditch is a

counterscarp bank up to 4m wide and 0.3m high.

The interior of the fort is rocky and uneven with bedrock protruding through the surface at a number of points. No evidence for internal structures is present, although these may be masked by the general uneven ground surface.

On the upper of the western terraces there is a double line of stones, which may be the remnants of a second western entrance. Boog-Watson (1923) reports two lines of stones curving across this middle terrace, which may have been further ramparts at the W of the hillfort. The whole hillfort appears to have been in a better state of preservation at the time of Boog-Watson’s survey with the rampart forming an almost continuous line around along the edge of the plateau.

Archive: NRHE

Funder: Tay Landscape Partnership

Jamie Humble and Graeme Cavers – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES, Volume 17)

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