Westerwood, Antonine Wall

Gordon and Maitland, in the 18th century, mention inscribed stones having been dug up here and built into the houses, but other than a few tooled stones being observed in the walls around the stackyard, there is no record of these inscribed stones.

NS77NE 8 76070 77353

(NS 76070 77353) Roman Fort (R) (site of)

OS 1:10000 map (1976)

The Roman fort at Westerwood abutting the Antonine Wall measured internally 280ft E-W by 300ft transversely, covering an area of nearly 2 acres. Excavations were carried out in 1932 by Sir George Macdonald.

The rampart surrounding the other three sides was of turf on a stone foundation about 16ft broad. Nothing could be found about the NE corner as the buildings of Westerwood farm steading overlie the defences. There were two ditches outside the rampart, with a third along the stretch from the W gate northwards. On the S, and the N, the ditches are not interrupted by a passage, although there is a gate in each of these ramparts. The E and W gates lie further N that the centre of the fort. Excavations proved that the wall was completed before the fort.

Of the internal structures, little was found. The majority of the wooden barrack-blocks were to the S of the via principalis. The fragment of a wall close to the W rampart showed that a stone building had run N-S there; and another fragment found against the Antonine Rampart on the N indicated the remains of a bath-house - a drain ran from it under the W rampart.

A kiln was found built into the Antonine Rampart a little to the W of the N gate.

A portion of a loop of the Military Way was uncovered outside the ditches at the SE corner of the fort.

It is possible that the fort overlay the site of an Agricolan fort, although, except for the peculiarity of the ditches, no conclusive evidence has been encountered.

Finds, datable to the 2nd century, include a few pottery sherds and some ballista balls. A coin of Hadrian was found nearby, on the Military Way, a little E of the fort (see NS77NE 11). Gordon and Maitland, in the 18th century, mention inscribed stones having been dug up here and built into the houses, but other than a few tooled stones being observed in the walls around the stackyard, there is no record of these inscribed stones.

Visible on aerial photographs (106G/Scot/UK10: 7094; 58/3544/F44: 0342). G Macdonald 1933; 1934

The two ditches and rampart have been ploughed down to appear only as a large, broad hollow 20m wide and 1.2m deep. There is also a large outer swelling in the ground about 16m broad. The whole area of the fort has been ploughed over and built upon in the NE corner.

Visited by OS (JLD) 16 January 1957

In 1978, a pipe trench in the NW quadrant of the fort revealed flat slabbing and stonework which together with finds of tile and brick suggest a cutting through the bath-house.

L J F Keppie 1978; 1979

The area of the fort is still regularly ploughed and the broad ditch is becoming less pronounced; it now averages 0.6m deep. Westerwood farm is now a youth centre.

Revised at 1:2500.

Visited by OS (MJF) 20 May 1980

Westerwood, Fort NS 760 773 NS77NE 8

Situated on a slight N-facing slope high above the upper reaches of the River Kelvin, on ground partly covered by Westerwood farmhouse (now an outdoor recreation centre), this fort is one of the stations on the Antonine Wall. When excavated in 1932, it was found to have measured about 88m by 84m (0.74ha) internally. The fort abuts the S face of the Antonine Rampart and has been additionally defended, for most of the circuit, by two ditches; the hollow that marks the course of the latter is at present the most conspicuous feature of the site. More recent excavation in the area to the S of the fort failed to confirm the existence on this side of either an annexe or the loop of the Military Way tentatively identified by Macdonald.

RCAHMS 1982

(Macdonald 1933, 277-96; 1934, 256; Keppie 1978, 12-18

In November 1987, the laying of an electricity cable badly disturbed the square stonework forming one face of a NS partition wall of the internal bathhouse, W of the fort's N gate. Heavy burning visible on some of the stones, and in section, suggested that the stonework had flanked a hypocaust basement. Some facing stones were removed for examination, and the rest backfilled. The stone base of the Antonine Wall was observed, on the expected alignment, but only its S half had survived. Part of one hypocaust brick was recovered.

L J F Keppie 1987.

area A

NS 7605 7735 Magnetic survey in March 2006 of 3ha within the fort and to its S and W revealed some structures within the fort, the Military Way to the W and various anomalies that probably represent post-Roman structures. Construction of the adjacent golf course appears to have adversely affected potential structures existing to the S and W of the fort.

Sponsor: EU Culture 2000.

R Jones 2006

area B

NS 7605 7735 Magnetic survey in March 2006 of 3ha within the fort and to its S and W revealed some structures within the fort, the Military Way to the W and various anomalies that probably represent post-Roman structures. Construction of the adjacent golf course appears to have adversely affected potential structures existing to the S and W of the fort.

Sponsor: EU Culture 2000.

Richard Jones, 2006.

area C

NS 7605 7735 Magnetic survey in March 2006 of 3ha within the fort and to its S and W revealed some structures within the fort, the Military Way to the W and various anomalies that probably represent post-Roman structures. Construction of the adjacent golf course appears to have adversely affected potential structures existing to the S and W of the fort.

Sponsor: EU Culture 2000.

Richard Jones, 2006.

area D

NS 7605 7735 Magnetic survey in March 2006 of 3ha within the fort and to its S and W revealed some structures within the fort, the Military Way to the W and various anomalies that probably represent post-Roman structures. Construction of the adjacent golf course appears to have adversely affected potential structures existing to the S and W of the fort.

Sponsor: EU Culture 2000.

Richard Jones, 2006.

NS 7606 7741 to NS 7619 7739 A watching brief was maintained during the excavation of a 140m section of a

service trench across the site of the Antonine Wall and associated fortlet at Westerwood, on 8–9 December 2008. No significant archaeological features or artefacts were identified.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Q Hotels

Martin Cook – AOC Archaeology Group

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.

NS 7534 7732 A watching brief was maintained on 10 February 2011 during the excavation of a single small trench required for the foundations of a new visitor information board. There were no finds or features of archaeological significance.

Archive: RCAHMS (intended)

Funder: Historic Scotland

Kirkdale Archaeology, 2011 kirkdale1-172051

The location, classification and period of this site have been reviewed.