Carwinning Hill

NS25SE 6 2871 5286.

(NS 2871 5286) Fort (NR) (remains of)

OS 25" map (1966)

Carwinning fort occupies a splendid situation, 658ft OD, on the W side of the valley of the Pitcon Burn, the flank of which is here particularly steep. Now much wasted, it consists of a central enclosure about 300ft in diameter, lying within the remains of an outer wall some 100ft away. A small central enclosure, about 100ft in diameter, formed by a stony mound, could be intrusive and might represent the robbed remains of a dun (R W Feachem 1963).

D Christison 1893

This fort, situated on a promontory with steep natural slopes on the N, E and S, consists of a vague central mound about 30.0m in diameter, surrounded by the remains of a much spread, grass-covered, stone wall 3.0m wide and 0.5m high were best preserved, and about 65.0m in diameter. On the W of the fort, varying between 34.0m and 40.0m from the inner wall, is a further wall 3.0m wide, with a maximum height of 1.2m ending on the natural slopes to N and S. For part of its length this wall is surmounted by a field wall. Running from the centre of the fort to the E slopes is a modern field bank 3.0m wide and 1.0m high. Quarrying has been started on the E face of the hill.

Though the NSA (1845) asserts that traces of a ditch may be seen at the foot of the hill, nothing was noted during investigation.

Visited by OS (DS) 4 September 1956

This fort is generally as described in the previous field report; the ramparts are now no more than 0.5m high, while the central mound is too denuded to be accurately surveyed. The quarrying mentioned above appears to have been abandoned.

Surveyed at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JTT) 28 October 1964

The site of this robbed fort is being excavated in advance of quarrying. Excavation of several areas totalling some 1250 square metres showed (a) the central area, about 30.0m. in diameter (A on sketch plan by OS (DS) proved to be several cairns. One of these cairns consisted of a low mound of angular rubble enclosed by a badly robbed rubble kerb, covering a collared urn, a bronze chisel (?) and half a stone battle-axe, reused as a hammer. Overlying the N cairn is a wall of massive boulders, which may be part of a defensive enclosure on the hilltop. (b). The ramparts are all severely robbed and their construction is unclear. (c). In the interior of enclosure 'B', stone-packed post holes have been located, but no trace of their associated floor has survived. (d). The whole of the outer earthwork (c) appears to be a relatively recent field dyke and its apparent ditch proved to be a shallow scrape for bedrock.

T Cowie 1977.

Further work in 1978 showed that on the summit of the hill the remains of a single low Bronze Age cairn are overlain by the footings of a boulder wall, apparently associated with a posthole lined entrance, but no further evidence has emerged for the date of these features. The construction of the main defensive enclosure was clarified: a palisade slot embanked with rubble and/or soil appears to have existed in place of or replacing the palisade. Within the enclosure, but not certainly associated with the palisade, excavation revealed the stone-packed postholes of a porched circular structure, and in the same area traces of post-Medieval occupation. Along the course of what was superficially taken to be a robbed enclosure wall, were located the remains of a series of very shallow but severely eroded interrupted depression, up to 7m by 2m in extent but no more than 0.2m deep. In the subsoil, on their interior, was a series of shallow postholes running along the line of the low bank of upcast material and stone.

T Cowie 1978

Photographed from the air.

D A Edwards and E A Horne 1978

A further phase of quarrying operations has destroyed the NE part of this fort, and much of the interior detail established by excavation to be archaeological features. Only a roughly circular segment of this interior detail, some 0.4m high, survives, and this has no recognisable form. The enclosure works around the hill, visibly indicating more than one phase of activity, survive as described on the W and S. At the time of investigation active quarrying had once more ceased.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (JRL) 28 February 1983.

The battle-axe is a grooved example of the Intermediate-Developed form. It is held in Glasgow Art Gallery and Museum, and has been petrologically attributed to group XXVIII (quartz dolerite from various sources in Scotland and Northern England).

T H McK Clough and W A Cummins 1988.