Sheep Hill

RCAHMS surveyed the fort at Sheep Hill using plane-table and alidade on 18 May 1955. The plan was redrawn in pencil and annotated with the position of vitrifaction. An ink drawing was prepared by R W Feachem.

Fort, Sheep Hill

On the craggy summit of Sheep Hill, a quarter of a mile NW of Auchentorlie House and at a height of 500ft OD, there is a small fort whose plan (see RCAHMS drawing) has evidently been largely governed by the terrain. The position is a strong one, being protected by precipitous cliffs on the W and by steep rocky slopes from 30ft to 45ft in height on the other three sides, while a small triangular shelf at the foot of the S slope has also been included in the fortifications. The main defence consists of a stone wall which has been drawn round the margin of the summit area to form an irregularly-shaped enclosure measuring about 300ft from E to W by 150ft transversely. On the E side all trace of this wall has disappeared doubtless as a result of landslips, but on the other three sides it is still represented in part by the core, now appearing as a grassy bank not more than 2ft 6ins in height, and in part by occasional outer facing stones. The corresponding inner face of the wall is only visible at one point, on the E, and here the thickness of the wall is 14ft. At four widely spaced points on the line of this wall vitrified material is exposed, thus confirming the statement made* on the OS map; in three of the places the vitrification is merely a small lump, about the size of a fist, protruding through the turf, but on the E side of the S entrance, discussed below, the molten core can be seen to have run outwards between the stones forming the outer face of the wall. Five further patches of vitrification are to be found within the enclosure, as shown on the plan, and appear to represent the remains of a dividing wall which cut off the higher, NE portion, of the interior from the rest. Three of these patches, one of which is 15ft in length by 18 in in thickness, are presumably in situ since they occupy the natural position for-such a dividing wall on the crest of an inclined rock face; but the two more easterly patches occur half-way down the same rock face and have presumably fallen from their original positions. Although the surviving remains are insufficient to allow the size of this inner enclosure, or citadel, to be calculated with any precision, the lie of the ground suggests that it is likely to have been roughly oval on plan and to have measured about 130ft from E to W by 90ft from N to S. No signs of buildings can be seen either within the citadel area or on the grassy slopes that lie to the SE and SW of the citadel and from 15ft to 20ft below it. At the present time there are two well-defined entrances to the fort, on the N and S sides respectively, but the northernmost of these is almost certainly modern. The S entrance, on the other hand, is patently original since it affords the only access to the triangular outwork referred to above. This outwork is bounded by a single stone wall, 12ft in thickness, which is now in the last stages of decay. The entrance is situated on the E side but its width is uncertain as only the foundations of the S jamb are visible. A good deal of the stony core of the wall is exposed on either side of the entrance but despite careful search no trace of vitrified material could be found anywhere along the circuit of the outwork, nor is there any trace of structures in the interior.

*This seems to be the only previous reference to the fort being vitrified. It is not included in Mrs. Cottons list (Arch. Journal)

Visited by RCAHMS (KAS), 3 October 1955

NS 434 744. This was the second site excavated for a week in August in the hope of obtaining charcoal samples for C-14 dating. The initial trench revealed no charcoal but some sherds of thick, hard gritty pottery, several vitrified fragments and a small hammerstone, all of which appeared to be in an occupation level on the old ground surface and associated with the fort wall. Subsequent excavations have shown that the stratigraphy is more complex. The site stands on a high knoll overlooking the river Clyde to the S and it is now clear that it is a two period one. The earliest structure was a small, timber-laced fort on the summit of the knoll enclosing an area of approximately 1,300 square yards. The fort was later enlarged to about 5,200 square yards with an apparently simple drystone wall. All excavations so far have been in this later fort and vitrified fragments were found in the core of its wall and on its occupation floor confirming that the timber-laced fort was destroyed before it was constructed. Associated with Fort II are fragments of jet rings and armlets (and many unworked fragments of jet) and a tiny blue glass ring bead. Earlier occupation levels were found running under its wail and are presumably to be associated with the timber-laced fort above. Sherds of thick gritty pottery, iron fragments and many fragments of jet belong to this phase. Excavations will continue next year.

E W Mackie (DES 1966, 24-5)

DES 1966

NS 434744. Excavations continued on this two period fortified site (Discovery and Excavation, 1966, p. 24). The midden below the wall of the second fort was further explored and yielded material probably assignable to the occupation of the first fort, the small timber-laced-walled enclosure on the summit of the knoll. Large portions of a pot of hard, plain gritty fabric were found in the lower midden- The vessel is 8" in diameter with a slightly everted lip with shallow finger depressions just below it on the exterior : it probably stands about 11" high. The fragments of iron mentioned last year as coming from the lower midden are probably iron pan. Several pieces of baked clay moulds for bronze implements were found which seem to be for something larger than the usual Iron Age pins and fibulae. On and above the stoney floor associated with the later fort were found more fragments of jet including armlets, and some hammerstones.

E W Mackie (DES 1967, 25)

NS 434744. Excavations have continued on this two period site in 1968 (Discovery and Excavation, 1966, p. 24, 7967, p. 25). Further cuttings are being made against the south wall of the tower, later fort, with the object of exploring more of the midden below it. The first trench has been made across the vitrified wall of the upper, earlier fort but no clear occupation layer has been found there. Work will continue.

E W Mackie (DES 1968, 20)

NS 435744. Further work was done on this two period fortified site in 1968. (DES 1966, 24-5; 1967, 25; 1968, 20). A radiocarbon date was received for a sample of charcoal from near the base of the lowest occupation layer which runs under the rubble-and-earth-cored secondary rampart. This primary layer contained thick, gritty pottery and other artefacts and is thought to be associated with the small vitrified fort higher up, on the summit of the rocky outcrop. The age obtained was 5110 ± 1020 B.C. (Gak 2467) which is in the late Boreal period. The charcoal must have been dug up from the subsoil when the first fort was built, or be the remains of an undetected Mesolithic occupation nearby.

E W Mackie (DES 1969, 22)

Sheep Hill NS 434 744 NS47SW 6

This fort occupies the rocky summit of Sheep Hill (160m OD). Excavation showed that a small vitrified fort was replaced by a larger fort measuring 80m by 48m with an additional enclosure on a lower terrace to the S. The finds from the excavation are in the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow.

RCAHMS 1978, visited December 1977

(Mackie 1976, 211-14)

This fort is situated on the summit of Sheep Hill, a steep-sided spur above the N bank of the River Clyde that falls away steeply on all sides except the NE. The defences comprise three elements: a small oval enclosure occupying the rocky boss that forms the summit; an irregular enclosure taking in additional ground on the S and W; and an outer rampart enclosing a triangular terrace on the S. Excavations by Euan MacKie 1966-8 demonstrated that the enclosure on the summit, which measures no more than 40m from E to W by 27m transversely (0.08ha) internally, was the primary fortification, with a heavily vitrified timber-laced rampart. The rampart of the larger enclosure below it incorporated numerous pieces of vitrified stone and was evidently a seconday construction, enclosing an irregular area measuring about 82m from E to W by 45m transversely (0.38ha), to which the triangular annexe on the S is presumably appended. In its second phase, the fort had entrances on the N and S respectively, the former utilising a steep gully through the rock faces, and the latter across a gentler slope leading up from the annexe on the S, which has an entrance in its E side. Finds from deposits that had built up on a layer of rubble against the second phase rampart on the SE included a blue glass ring and fragments of finished and unfinished shale bracelets, as well as pieces of raw material (MacKie 1976, 212). At two points this rampart was found to also overlie earlier occupation deposits, a midden on the SE side of the fort yielding numerous sherds of pottery and eight fragments of moulds, including one for casting a Late Bronze Age axe (MacKie 1976, 212-13). Despite the vitrification of one of the sherds in the top of this midden, there is no reason to attribute a Late Bronze Age date to the small timber-laced fort on the summit.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 October 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC1418

Excavations at Sheep Hill hillfort, West Dunbartonshire, took place at weekends between 1966 and 1969, with a small team of volunteers. The fort is sited on a volcanic plug of basalt with extensive views up and down the river Clyde. The finds are in the Hunterian Museum of the University of Glasgow, and a preliminary account of the discoveries was published a few years later (MacKie 1976).

The hilltop stronghold was found in fact to have been two successive forts. The first (Fort 1) was a timber-framed dun – a drystone enclosure on the summit of the hill. This was destroyed by fire and partly vitrified near the end of the Bronze Age, and most of the rubble from the walls was re-used in the larger Iron Age hillfort (Fort 2) which was built on top of it. A midden from this early fort was found under the rampart of the later one and contained gritty Dunagoil pottery as well as pieces of fired clay moulds for bronze implements. It is possible that a palisaded enclosure preceded the vitrified fort. Nearby on the north was once one of the finest cup-and-ring carved rocks in the country [Canmore ID 43361] which may have been damaged for building material.

The later hillfort consisted of several enclosures defended by rubble and earth ramparts. An important element in the associated material culture was the shale armlet, several examples of which were found. They appear to have been made on the site. The fort is difficult to date precisely but was almost certainly pre-Roman. No Roman artefacts were found although the fort at the west end of the Antonine wall is only a short distance to the east.

Mackie 2015