Castle Hill, Horsburgh Castle Farm

This report presents the results of a topographical survey of the surviving earthworks at Castle Hill, to the south of the town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders. These earthworks comprise a palisaded settlement inside which a later settlement with double banks and ditches was established. The site became a scheduled monument (SM2681) in 1968. A detailed archaeological measured survey was undertaken at the site in November 2013. These works were undertaken on behalf of Forestry Commission Scotland by Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd. The site, situated within the Glentress Forest, is currently managed by Forestry Commission Scotland. The purpose of the survey was to provide an enhanced baseline record of the upstanding remains at the site, and to inform future conservation and management of the monument. Results from this assessment recorded the nature and extent of earthworks as well as the wider landscape context of the upstanding archaeological remains.

Rubicon Heritage Services Ltd. (L. Baker & E. O'Flaherty) OASIS ID: rubiconh1-187756

The summit of Castle Hill, which rises up on the N side of the Tweed valley above Horsburgh Castle, is crowned by a small earthwork enclosure, which occupies the site of what was probably a substantial timber fort. The walls or palisades of this fort are reduced to little more than grooves in the turf on the NW side of the stone dyke that traverses the summit, the SE half partly destroyed by the construction of the earthwork enclosure and otherwise obliterated by ploughing in the 19th century. Around the NW half the courses of the palisades are marked by two grooves set 4.9m apart, though since the site was taken out of hill-grazing into a clearing in a forestry plantation these have become increasingly difficult to trace out on the ground. They disappear beneath the dyke on the NE and SW, the outer re-emerging on the NE to be cut by the ditch of the later earthwork. The projected circuit measures about 75m in diameter (0.45ha) and there is an entrance on the NW where the two palisades were linked to create a lined passage 3.5m wide, projections of the outer palisade narrowing its mouth to about 1.8m. Within the interior a second pair of palisades set 1.8m to 2.4m apart can be seen, forming a more typical double palisade with traces of a low medial bank, but too little survives to estimate the size of the enclosure. Again, there is an entrance on the NW, but rather than the formal squared lines of the outer perimeter, here the palisades unite in rounded 'hairpin' terminals to either side of the gap. Immediately within the enclosure, lying to either side of the entrance, there are traces of two round-houses defined by shallow grooves or ditches. Evidently a much smaller enclosure, this too is cut by the later settlement earthwork, which measures about 35m from NNE to SSW by 25m transversely within a heavily robbed inner wall accompanied by an outer bank and ditch, both of which are pierced by a well-formed entrance on the ESE. Despite the ploughing that has severely reduced the perimeter on the S and W, traces of three timber round-house stances can be seen within the interior, each comprising a small central platform encircled by a shallow groove or ditch.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 18 October 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3670

NT 2916 4006 Aerial survey of the site (NT24SE 37 / NT24SE 48) was carried out, 17-18 January 2019, using a camera mounted on a SUA (drone) in order to capture images for processing into a detailed contour plan of the site at 5cm interval, allowing for 3D modelling and manipulation of data for use in an artistic interpretation. In addition, new images were taken of the site from a variety of angles, placing it into the landscape.

Funder: Forestry and Land Scotland

David Connolly – Skyscape Survey

(Source: DES Vol 20)

Visibility: This is an upstanding earthwork or monument.

Information from Scottish Borders Council

This site was originally bounded by two palisaded-fences. The foundation trenches appear as slight grooves. There was an entrance on the NNW side. There are 2 possible ring groove house-sites in the interior.

The fort is enclosed by double banks and ditches, which have been severely reduced and filled up. The interior has traces of three timber houses of ring groove type.

Information from Scottish Borders Council