Meikledodd Hill, Track
Drove Road (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Meikledodd Hill, Track
Classification Drove Road (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 44675
Site Number NS60SE 6
NGR NS 6500 0437
NGR Description NS 6500 0437 to NS 6614 0161
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/44675
- Council East Ayrshire
- Parish New Cumnock
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Cumnock And Doon Valley
- Former County Ayrshire
NS60SE 6 6500 0437 to 6614 0161
See also NS60SE 7-10.
Old Drove Road - a series of sheep tracks occasionally appearing as a terraceway 4m wide.
Visited by OS (JLD) 2 December 1955.
NS 658 033. From the head of the Pettyconshiel Burn an ancient terraced road runs S to round the shoulder of Blacklorg Hill and contour SE, S, SE round the headwaters gully of the Sandyhole Burn. Here the road has been re-routed and no less than five tracks are visible, round the gully head, NS 6580 0330. SSW to NS 6570 0280, one major 7m wide track continuing S to pass W of the summit of Meikledodd Hill. From NS 6570 0280 the westerly road turns to SSE to cross the boundary of the Stewarty District, NS 6570 0272.
F Newall and W Lonie 1989.
From NS 6570 0272 the ancient road descends rapidly the east flank of the Lorg Burn to pass across the outer enclosure of Lorg Farm to NS 6689 0090, where the road from Polskeoch, formerly classed as Roman, curves to join it along an unmapped length. (E from Polskeoch, Dumfries and Galloway, this is mapped as a drove road.)
Throughout its length the road, at maximum 8-9m wide on a terrace 11-14m wide, is dissected, eroded, and slipped, in places reduced to some 4m in width. Sheep scrapes show that the terrace was cut in peat. Over this, at least along the west side of the road at the head of the Lorg Valley, a bedding clay, possibly of decayed turf, supports a road of compacted small gravel 15cm thick under a like thickness of peat, the overburden, however, reduced by later traffic.
The place names Greenlorg, Blacklorg, Lorg, along the line, and
possibly Sandyhole (Heol - Welsh for road) would indicate some antiquity. The road has certainly Roman characteristics.
F Newall and W Lonie 1989.
The line of this road (as indicated by an undated annotation on the 1:10,000 OS record sheet) crosses the watershed between the headwaters of the Afton Water (a tributary of the River Nith) and those of the Water of Ken. This watershed also defines the boundary between the parishes of New Cumnock (East Ayrshire) and Dalry (Dumfries and Galloway).
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 6 July 2000.
Field Walking (July 2007 - July 2008)
CFA produced an annex for the Environmental Statement considering the likely effects of the South West Scotland Project (the SWS Project) on cultural heritage assets.
Reconnaissance field survey, comprising non-intrusive walkover surveys, was conducted within the narrow corridor study areas for each connection comprising the SWS Project. The survey work was undertaken between July 2007 and July 2008.
Areas of dense commercial forestry and active opencast coal mining were not surveyed in detail due to access difficulties and restrictions, and the baseline conditions of features identified within these areas during the desk-based studies were not established. Any uncertainty as a consequence of this has been acknowledged in the assessments.
Identified sites were recorded on pro-forma monument recording forms, including a sketch plan where applicable, and by digital photography, and were located using GPS readings. These archive materials will be offered to bodies holding the relevant Sites and Monuments Records.
Scottish Power
CFA Archaeology
