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Singingside Hope

Linear Earthwork(S) (Period Unassigned)

Site Name Singingside Hope

Classification Linear Earthwork(S) (Period Unassigned)

Alternative Name(s) Heather Hope

Canmore ID 59058

Site Number NT81NW 35

NGR NT 81546 17591

NGR Description From NT 8158 1765 to NT 8151 1751

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/59058

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

  • Council Scottish Borders, The
  • Parish Hownam
  • Former Region Borders
  • Former District Roxburgh
  • Former County Roxburghshire

Archaeology Notes

NT81NW 35.00 from 8158 1765 to 8151 1751

(A: NT 8153 1753 - NT 8158 1765) Earthwork (NR)

(B: NT 8134 1753 - NT 8149 1780) Earthwork (NR) described under NT81NW 35.01

(C: NT 8133 1776 - NT 8137 1794) Earthwork (NR) described under NT81NW 35.02

OS 6" map, (1962).

Three linear earthworks cross a neck of somewhat marshy ground which separates the cleuchs at the head of Singingside Hope from the head of Heather Hope. They could be termed 'cross-dykes', of which there are a number in Roxburghshire, erected across tracks and routes probably as obstacles to traffic or raiders, sometimes serving the further purpose of boundaries. The evidence for assigning them to any particular period is regarded as inconclusive.

Earthwork 'A' runs NNE-SSW across the bottom of the rocky face of Hill 1390 (on OS 6"map, Berwickshire, 1923). One end rests on the upper side of the terrace that carries The Street past the heads of Singingside Hope and Murder Cleuch, and the other turns downhill and fades out on the lip of the steep descent to Heather Hope, the total length of the work being 230 yds. The tracks forming The Street divide to turn it at one or other of its ends; in the case of the single track that turns the SSW end, the earthwork is clearly the older, but this means little as the track is of comparatively modern appearance. All the other tracks, including another recent one, have coalesced at the NNE end, but whether this has been done to avoid the obstacle or to follow the least difficult course along the lip of the cleuch cannot be determined. Earthwork 'B' crosses the neck at about its lowest point, and is distant, at nearest, 100 yds from 'A'. It is 374 yds in total length over the two gaps that give passage to the tracks forming The Street; its three sections differ from one another in certain respects and may have been made separately. The section (150 yds in length) that rests on Singingside Cleuch starts on a course running nearly N-S, but curves as it nears the first gap (36' wide) to align itself with the central section (7 yds long) which runs NE-SW. These sections consist of a ditch with a greatly spread bank on either side of it. The SW section, separated from the central one by a gap of 54' wide, continues the same course as the latter, but is of quite different construction as it consists of a ditch with a single bank on its SE or downhill side. This section is better preserved than the other two, and may well be later in date. The tracks, at least three in number and apparently long out of use, that pass through the NE gap impinge on the ends of the earthwork at either side, but whether they have actually broken through it, or have merely grazed the sides of a gap purposely left for their passage, cannot be said. Three tracks traverse the SW gap; two of them look recent and join up with the "made" ones that respectively turn the two ends of the earthwork to the E. Appearances suggest that these tracks are later than the central section of the earthwork, that they aimed at turning the SW end of the obstacle, and that the length of ditch with the single bank was subsequently added beyond. them.

Earthwork 'C' lies roughly parallel with 'B', 170 yds NW of it. The NE end of the work rests on Green Cleuch; from here it runs SW for 430 yds, over a gap 65 yds wide, to terminate on the edge of Dry Slack. This work resembles 'A', not only in its light construction but also in its situation, which overlooks the low centre of the neck from a slight elevation; its bank, however, is on the upper side of the ditch while that of 'A' is on the lower. The gap, 65 yds wide, begins 215 yds from the NE end. Through this gap there pass the tracks of The Street, here concentrated into two main groups which are separated to the gap's full width; superficial appearances suggest that the earthwork is later than the tracks, and that its two portions were carried to the edges of a belt of ground already occupied by the road.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1938 and 1944.

As described by the RCAHMS.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 1 September 1960.

No change.

Revised at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (TRG) 9 September 1976.

The southernmost of three linear earthworks (see also NT81NW 35.02 and NT81NW 35.01), crossing the narrow neck of ground linking the eminence of Craik Moor to Calroust Common, commences above the steep slope dropping down to Murder Sike on the N. From here the earthwork may be traced over moderately steep to steep ground for about 150m to the SSW where it terminates over a similarly steep SSW-facing slope. The earthwork survives as a shallow, 2m wide ditch on the uphill, E, side of a low bank also measuring 2m across and standing less than 0.3m in height on average. There are two breaks towards the centre of the earthwork, 80m from the N and 50m from the S terminals. The breaks measure 8m and 2m across respectively and are separated by a short 8m long stretch of bank. In contrast to the breaks observed over the two earthworks to the N utilised by the rutted course of The Street, neither of these gaps are suggestive of prolonged use as a trackway. Moreover, the two principal alignments of The Street (NT81NW 92) passing through the earthwork to the N (NT81NW 35.01), carefully skirt round the N and S terminals along the crest of the steep scarps falling away to the valleys below.

Information from RJ Mercer (University of Edinburgh) 1 April 1985

RCAHMS MS 2598. No. 42/551

SUMMARY

The character of these three earthworks betrays little of their function save that they control the narrow neck of land between two hilltops, one of the major routes, associated with droving, through the hills. The character of the S earthwork, suggests that it controlled grazing on Calroust Common, hence the main alignments of The Street skirt round the earthwork along more favourable gradients than a route across the centre would have pursued. The breaks in the centre both suggest intermittent, or short-lived, use rather than repeated traffic. In contrast the middle earthwork controls the neck of land impeding traffic except through a central gate (the N gate). Eventually after much rutting, a second opening was forced through, although no attempt appears to have been made to permanently block the former route. Subsequently the course of The Street from the N provided easy access onto Calroust Common, leading to further wear through the S gate. The northernmost earthwork may have served a similar function to that on the edge of Calroust Common controlling grazing on Craik Moor for it does not appear to have been maintained to control the roadway, whose character holds the key to the sequence. In contrast to the S earthwork, the gradients above and below were not as steep and The Street pursued a route along the ridge top. Through use the course became extremely braided and a wide opening through the earthwork developed. If the purpose of the earthwork was to control traffic along The Street then the width of the gate would have been maintained as seen in the central earthwork. Instead of viewing the three cross-dykes as the same phenomenon, that is controlling traffic along The Street, it may be more appropriate to see only the central earthwork in that role. The other two earthworks, positioned on the narrow necks of ground may have controlled stock on the gentler slopes to the N and S.

Information from RJ Mercer (University of Edinburgh) 1 April 1985

RCAHMS MS 2598. No. 42/551

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