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Twechar

Temporary Camp (Roman)

Site Name Twechar

Classification Temporary Camp (Roman)

Canmore ID 45160

Site Number NS67NE 11

NGR NS 69812 75440

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/45160

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council East Dunbartonshire
  • Parish Kirkintilloch (Strathkelvin)
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Strathkelvin
  • Former County Dunbartonshire

Archaeology Notes

NS67NE 11 69812 75440

NS 697 754. A Roman temporary camp at Twechar is visible on air photographs.

RCAHMS 1977; Visible on RCAHMS air photographs DB 894-6.

NS 6980 7544. This rectilinear single ditch cropmark lies astride the brow of an east-west ridge of high ground. The RCAHMS air photographs indicate the east side, which is approximately 142.0m. long, and the fragmentary traces of the north and south sides all of which are visible in standing crop. The remainder of the work is overlaid by a housing estate.

The area is regularly under plough and there is nothing traceable on the ground.

Surveyed at 1:2500

Visited by OS (M J F) 23 June 1980.

This temporary camp, identified from cropmarks, is probably one of the labour camps intended to accommodate a legionary detachment building the Antonine Wall; it straddles a ridge 250m S of the Wall, immediately NE of Twechar R C church. The SE side, about 145 m in length, and some 105m of the adjacent sides have so far been recognised, but the remainder of the camp lies beneath Twechar village. The total area enclosed is unlikely to have exceeded 2.3 ha.

RCAHMS 1978.

Activities

Aerial Photography (31 July 1979)

Aerial Photography (1979)

Field Visit (23 June 1980)

NS 6980 7544. This rectilinear single ditch cropmark lies astride the brow of an east-west ridge of high ground. The RCAHMS air photographs indicate the east side, which is approximately 142.0m. long, and the fragmentary traces of the north and south sides all of which are visible in standing crop. The remainder of the work is overlaid by a housing estate.

The area is regularly under plough and there is nothing traceable on the ground.

Surveyed at 1:2500

Visited by OS (M J F) 23 June 1980.

Aerial Photography (1981)

Note (1982)

Twechar, Temporary Camp NS 698 754 NS67NE 11

This temporary camp, identified from cropmarks, is probably one of the labour camps intended to accommodate a legionary detachment building the Antonine Wall; it straddles a ridge 250m S of the Wall, immediately NE of Twechar AC church. The SE side, about 145m in length, and some 105m of the adjacent sides have so far been recognised, but the remainder of the camp lies beneath Twechar village. The total area

enclosed is unlikely to have exceeded 2.3ha.

RCAHMS 1982

Publication Account (2008)

A 1:25000 scale map of the Antonine Wall was published by RCAHMS in 2008. The map shows the course of the Antonine Wall on a modern map base, including areas where the Wall is in public ownership or care and can be visited. The data had been collated as part of the project to prepare maps for the World Heritage Site nomination bid.

Publication Account (17 December 2011)

This camp lies immediately east of the village of T wechar, in the field between the houses and the church and leisure centre. It is situated on a ridge in the valley about 1km to the west of Bar Hill fort, and about 300m south of the Antonine Wall. It was first discovered from the air by Maxwell in 1976 (Goodburn 1978: 416), and parts of three sides have been visible, including most of the southeast side, 144m long, with a possible central entrance gap (although the cropmark has been interrupted by the corner of the enclosure around the church). Up to 60m of the north-east and south-west sides have also been recorded before the cropmark is lost under the houses of Twechar village. If the camp were square in form, it would enclose some 2.1ha (5.2 acres).

The camp probably relates to the construction of the Antonine Wall barrier. It is unlikely that it is a construction camp for the fort at Bar Hill because another camp has been recorded there to the rear of the fort (and given the climb required to reach the fort when there was ample space on the Hill).

R H Jones.

Watching Brief (3 November 2012 - 4 November 2012)

Headland Archaeology undertook an archaeological watching brief during the upgrade of overhead powerlines within the scheduled monument; SM 7075, ''Tweechar, Roman temporary camp NW of St John of the Cross RC Church. The work was carried out by Freedom Network Services and designed to meet conditions of Scheduled Monument Consent.''

The programme incorporated monitiring groundworks for the replacement of powerline poles and cable joints within the scheduled area. No remains of archaeological significance were identified.

Funder: Freedom Network Services

Headland Archaeology Ltd

Watching Brief (3 November 2014 - 4 November 2014)

Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd undertook an archaeological watching brief during the upgrading of overhead powerlines within the scheduled monument; SM 7075 ‘Twechar, Roman temporary camp NW of St John of the Cross RC Church’. The work was carried out by Freedom Network Services and designed to meet conditions of Scheduled Monument Consent (SM 7075). This report presents the findings of the archaeological watching brief.

The programme took place from 3rd-4th November and incorporated monitoring groundworks for the replacement of powerline poles and cable joints within the scheduled area. No remains of archaeological significance were identified.

Information from Julie Lochrie (Headland Archaeology) June 2015

Project code: OHLT/01

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