Stoney Law
Fort (Period Unassigned)
Site Name Stoney Law
Classification Fort (Period Unassigned)
Alternative Name(s) Stont Law; Brundeanlaws; Oxnam Water
Canmore ID 58149
Site Number NT71SW 15
NGR NT 7300 1156
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/58149
- Council Scottish Borders, The
- Parish Oxnam
- Former Region Borders
- Former District Roxburgh
- Former County Roxburghshire
NT71SW 15 7300 1156
(NT 7300 1156) A small fort occupies the summit of Stony Law, an isolated knoll just below 1000ft OD. In its original state, it was probably almost circular on plan, internal diameter 210ft, but the SE half has been quarried away. Except possibly on the NE, where only a single rampart is traceable, the remaining half was defended by double ramparts, some 30ft apart, both of which were set on artificial terraces (C and D on RCAHMS 1956 plan, fig.485, qv) cut into the hill-slope. Although the ramparts have been almost entirely obliterated, occasional traces of internal quarry-ditches, too faint to be shown on plan, suggest that they were of dump-construction; a line of boulders on the N side of the inner rampart is probably the remainsof an outer kerb. A 10ft wide entrance lies on the ENE side of the inner rampart. Within the interior, hut sites are indicated by one subrectangular and four roughly circular platforms which have been scooped out of the flanks of the knoll halfway between the summit and the inner rampart, and by one cesscentic scarp which is partially enclosed by a slight trench about 2ft wide and a few inches deep.
RCAHMS 1956, visited 1947.
This fort is as described except that there are eight hut sites.
The RCAHMS plan has been revised by OS.
Visited by OS (EGC) 4 June 1968
The interior of the fort shows considerable ground disturbance with one or two additional vague platforms possibly being hut stances.
Surveyed at 1:10,000.
Visited by OS (JB) 22 October 1979.
Scheduled as Stony Law, fort.
Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 4 February 2003.
Field Visit (23 March 2000)
NT71SW 15
Stony Law
Fort
NT 73022 11560
This site was recorded as part of the Kale Water Survey project and is largely as described previously on the date of visit.
Occupying the summit of Stony Law there is a fort, the SE side of which has been removed by quarrying. The surviving fort would have originally been roughly circular on plan, measuring 102m NE to SW by about 96m transversely within double ramparts. There is no entrance apparent. At least four ring-ditch houses can be seen within the fort, with the possible remains of at least three others visible as roughly circular platforms. The ring-ditch houses measure up to 9.3m in diameter over shallow ditches up to 1.8m in breadth; those in the N quadrant of the fort appear to show phasing in their construction. The house at NT 73021 11573 is overlain by that to the N (NT 73020 11581), which in turn is overlain by the house to the E (NT73029 11583).
(KALE99 252-258)
Visited by RCAHMS (MFTR) 23 March 2000, with additional information from RCAHMS (BM) 18 June 2012
Note (10 September 2015 - 16 August 2016)
This fort is situated on a hillock situated on a low spur projecting from the foot of the N flank of Philip Law above Riccalton. The SE flank of the fort has been clipped by a quarry, though there was probably always a rocky escarpment here, but it was probably roughly oval on plan, measuring up to 70m from N to S by 60m transversely (0.31ha) within twin ramparts, both of which have been reduced to scarps. Traces of internal quarrying can be seen to the rear of both ramparts, and a gap in the inner on the ENE probably marks the position of the entrance. The interior is packed with traces of timber round-houses, including shallow ring-ditches and shallow platforms enclosed by shallow annular grooves, and a threefold sequences at one point on the N demonstrates that they represent more than one period of construction.
Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 16 August 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC3415
Sbc Note
Visibility: This is an upstanding earthwork or monument.
Information from Scottish Borders Council
