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Arran, An Cnap
Bloomery Mound (Period Unknown)(Possible), Fort (Prehistoric), Vitrified Stone (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Site Name Arran, An Cnap
Classification Bloomery Mound (Period Unknown)(Possible), Fort (Prehistoric), Vitrified Stone (Prehistoric)(Possible)
Canmore ID 40219
Site Number NS04NW 6
NGR NS 01712 46054
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/40219
- Council North Ayrshire
- Parish Kilbride
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cunninghame
- Former County Buteshire
NS04NW 6 0172 4606.
(NS 0172 4606) Vitrified Fort (NR).
OS 1" map, (1960)
There is a vitrified fort at the point marked .129 on OS 6" plan. The inner of the two turf-covered stony ramparts encloses an oval area about 70 yds N-S by 50 yds transversely. The distance between the two ramparts is 4 yds to 6 yds, the outer rampart following the line of the inner. Excavations carried out on the ramparts at the S end showed that the inner rampart had been vitrified.
Source: V N Paton 1928.
This is a very flimsey structure for a fort, but vitrified stone certainly occurs on the site perhaps as evidence of a bloomery.
Source: J N G Ritchie 1973.
The remains of a vitrified fort situated on the crest of an east-facing tree-covered coastal slope. There are two concentric banks, around the north-west and south sides (now evident as stony scarps 1.0m high) and steep natural slopes on the east. The outer bank has a 15.0m long stretch of wall-facing visible on the north but nowhere can a "wall" width be determined.
The entrance is not evident but it was either in the east corner where both walls stop short of the natural slopes, or at the slight lowering of the banks on the west side.
Some vitrified material is exposed in the inner bank on the south west.
Surveyed at 1:10 000.
Visited by OS (B S) 1 December 1977.
Note (8 July 2014 - 23 May 2016)
This fort is situated on a hillock midway between the points where Glen Sannox and North Glen Sannox enter the sea. Pear-shaped on plan, its E flank is formed by the cliff-edge that was once the shoreline, while elsewhere two ramparts can be traced in an arc from the NW side of the hillock round to the S to enclose an area measuring about 62m from N to S by 45m transversely (0.21ha). The ramparts appear relatively flimsy, having been largely reduced to two roughly concentric scarps 1m high and set between 3.5m and 5.5m apart, but the remains of an outer face can be traced for a distance of 15m along the outer on the N, and vitrifaction has been observed in the core of the inner. The position of the entrance is unknown, though the ramparts peter out short of the cliff-edge on the SE, and the interior is featureless. A trench was excavated across the line of the defences on the S, not only discovered vitrifaction in the core of the inner rampart, but also disclosed evidence of burning in the outer (Paton 1928, 241).
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 23 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC1149
Note (26 June 2018)
The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.
HES Survey and Recording 26 June 2018
