Loddan Hill
Fort (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Loddan Hill
Classification Fort (Period Unassigned)
Canmore ID 58082
Site Number NT71SE 28
NGR NT 7558 1108
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/58082
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Oxnam
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Roxburgh
- Former County Roxburghshire
NT71SE 28 7558 1108
Not to be confused with palisaded settlements at NT 753 113 and NT 757 119, for which see NT71SE 27 and NT71SE 82 respectively.
(NT 7558 1108) Fort (NR)
[Undated] OS map.
This fort defended settlement (R W Feachem 1965) occupies an extremely strong position on the summit of Loddan Hill.
It measures 225' in diameter almost exactly within the denuded remains of two ramparts, and contains traces of at least five ring-ditch houses (comparable with those at Hayhope Knowe - NT81NE 18 - which was probably occupied in the 1st c AD).
(See RCAHMS 1956 plan, fig.486)
RCAHMS 1956; R W Feachem 1963.
This fort is as described and planned.
Visited by OS (WDJ) 9 September 1960.
No change to previous information.
Visited by OS (DWR) 25 July 1973.
The wasted remains of a fort; no change.
Visited by OS (BS) 8 September 1973.
Scheduled as 'Loddan, fort... the remains of a hillfort visible as a series of upstanding earthworks'.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 February 2003.
Field Visit (5 October 1999)
NT71SE 28
Loddan Hill
Fort
NT 75579 11083
This fort occupies the summit of Loddan Hill. Circular on plan, it measures 64m in diameter within a turf bank measuring 7m in thickness and 0.6m in height. There is also an outer rampart which survives as a semi-circular arc to the N and measures about 90m in diameter. Two entrances are visible, one on the W side and a possible second entrance opposite this to the E.
Traces of at least thirteen timber round houses are visible within the interior, four of which may be ring groove houses measuring between 8m and 10.6m in diameter across shallow grooves up to 0.5m in breadth. Seven appear to be to ring ditch houses measuring between 6.8m and 10m in diameter across shallow ditches between 1.2m and 1.7m in breadth. There are also two terraced hut platforms.
(KALE99 72-85)
Visited by RCAHMS (MFTR) 17 November 1999, with additional information from RCAHMS (BM) 8 June 2012
Note (9 September 2015 - 16 August 2016)
This fort stands on the summit of Loddan Hill a rounded spur that falls away steeply to the Kale Water on the NE and E and to the Tod Burn on the S. Circular on plan, it measures about 68m in diameter (0.36ha) within a rampart reduced to a low scarp around most of the circuit, only forming a bank on the S side of the entrance on the WSW; a second low scarp indicates the presence of an outer rampart around the more easily accessible N and NW flanks. The interior is packed with traces of timber round-house, at least thirteen of which are represented by shallow annular grooves, several of them enclosing shallow platforms. These represent several periods of occupation, and at least one on the SSE is possibly cut by an internal quarry scoop that lies to the rear of the rampart in the S quarter. In view of the preservation of the timber round-house stances within the interior, it seems likely that the ramparts were never particularly large and probably contained a substantial component of timber.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 16 August 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3412
Sbc Note
Visibility: This is an upstanding earthwork or monument.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
