Maiden Castle, East Seaton
Promontory Fort (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Maiden Castle, East Seaton
Classification Promontory Fort (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Carlingheugh Bay
Canmore ID 35529
Site Number NO64SE 2
NGR NO 6688 4203
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/35529
- Council Angus
- Parish Arbroath And St Vigeans
- Former Region Tayside
- Former District Angus
- Former County Angus
NO64SE 2 6688 4203
(NO 6688 4203) Maiden Castle (NAT) Fort (NR)
OS 6" map (1970)
Maiden Castle: A promontory fort (D Christison 1899) formed by isolating, by means of an earthen rampart, a point which is otherwise naturally defended by 80' high precipitous cliffs and grassy slopes.
The rampart, only 1.5m wide on top, is 37.0m long, 4.2m high on the seaward side and 11.0m high and almost vertical on the landward side, above a natural gully 6.0m wide which takes the place of the usual outer ditch. A narrow terrace 2.5m wide at the S end of the rampart provided access to the enceinte.
Visited by OS (JLD) 16 June 1958.
As described.
Resurveyed at 1:2500.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 21 October 1965.
Field Visit (1 August 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This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project.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.
Note (3 June 2015 - 31 May 2016)
This small fortification occupies a promontory on the coastal escarpment NE of Arbroath and ESE of East Seaton. The promontory is isolated from the rest of the escarpment by a broad ditch fronting the rampart drawn across the landward side of the promontory on the SW. The crest of the latter stands up to 11m above the bottom of the ditch and 4m above the rest of the interior, which is an irregularly-shaped area measuring 57m in length from NE to SW by 32m transversely (0.13ha). The entrance is on the S where a terrace mounts the side of the promontory below the terminal of the rampart.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 31 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3094
