Kip Knowe

NT82SW 8 From 84764 21404 to 24763 21311

(NT 84768 21350) Fort (NR)

OS 6" map, (1962).

A small multivallate fort, presumably of Early Iron Age date, occupies the summit of Kip Knowe. It is oval on plan and measures internally 160' NE-SW by about 195'. The W half is defended by triple widely spaced ramparts, but while there is a suggestion of the continuation of the innermost rampart in the E half, the outer ramparts, if they ever existed here, have entirely disappeared owing to the steepness of the slope. Superficially all the ramparts are of dump construction, the material being furnished by intermittent external quarry-trenches, with the addition, in the case of the inner rampart, of internal quarry-scoops. The inner rampart (see RCAHMS 1956 plan, fig.437) utilises the natural slopes to present a continuous scarp up to 8' high. The maximum heights of the scarps of the medial and outer ramparts are 4' and 2' respectively. One entrance is situated in the NE side where a hollow track leads through a gap, 10' wide, in the inner rampart; there may have been asecond entrance, similarly placed, in the opposite side. The interior of the fort is uneven, falling away on either side of a natural ridge which divides the area unequally from NW to SE. On the summit of this ridge, almost in the centre of the enclosure, there is a circular hut, 28' in diameter within a bank and outer ditch. There is a similar hut, in better preservation, near the NE entrance; it contains a slight circular scoop 14' in diameter.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1947.

This fort is as described above.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 18 August 1960.

No change.

Resurveyed at 1:10 000.

Visited by OS (TRG) 12 August 1976.

The complex remains of Kip Knowe, a small multivallate fort, occupy a prominent spur on the SE flank of Blackdean Curr. Local topography has greatly influenced the character of the defences. A series of three ramparts defend the fort on the approaches from the SW through to NE where there are generally moderate to moderately steep drops. Where, however, the ground falls away steeply to the Shorthope Sike and the Sourhope Burn, on the NE and S sides respectively, man-made barriers are rendered largely superfluous by the natural gradients. In the last stages of the fort the entrance must have been at the NE or S end of the innermost bank which is otherwise uninterrupted. The interior of the fort is uneven, gradually falling away on all sides from the NW to SE trending summit ridge. Five well-preserved houses, and at least four less well-defined structures, occupy the interior on the NE and E of the ridge. Without excavation it is impossible to establish the relationships between the various elements in the hillfort although some observations may be made.

THE DEFENCES

The innermost bank encloses an area up to 54m from NW to SE by 48m from NE to SW. The bank is most substantial on the S through to N side of the fort where it occupies the edge of a natural scarp to present an external face standing up to 2.3m in height. The rear scarp is much slighter standing to about 0.8m in height. On the S side of the spur the bank gradually merges into the steep natural scarp dropping away to the Sourhope Burn. On the NE angle the bank is broken twice by gaps up to 4m in width. After the first gap, in the N, the bank continues in a much reduced form for some 23m to the second break beyond which it soon blends in with the natural scarp falling away to the Shorthope Sike. It is this break that appears the more convincing as an entrance; at least in the last phase of use. A slight quarry ditch, spread up to 8m in width, is tucked behind the bank between the break in the N angle and the S terminal. Similarly outwith this stretch of bank there is an irregular shallow quarry ditch about 4m in width and up to 0.4m in depth. Traces of a slight counter-scarp bank lie above the outer lip of the ditch. The medial bank lies almost 2m beyond the counter-scarp and extends from the steep natural scarp on the S side through to a point opposite the break in the N angle of the innermost bank where it again merges with the natural scarp. The bank is spread up to 5m in width and stands to about 1m in height. Slight traces of quarrying were visible along the external face of the bank. The outer bank lies between 3m, on the S side, and 7m, on the W through to N angle, beyond the medial bank. Towards both terminals the bank survives as little more than a scarp as it merges with the natural slopes; otherwise it is spread up to 4m in width and stands no more than 0.6m in height. The bank is uninterrupted from the S terminal through to a point midway between the breaks on the N side of the innermost bank. A short stretch of scarp continues into the natural slope some 14m beyond this break. Like the innermost bank there is a shallow external quarry ditch. Traceable on the SW through to N, the ditch is up to 4m wide. A later field-bank extends from the outer face of the innermost bank across all the outer defences. The bank is spread up to 3m in width. Its location is of some importance in the interpretation of the site as it is not recorded in the RCAHMS plan (1956) but gaps are shown in the quarry ditches in the corresponding places. There are no direct relationships visible between the various components of the defences to suggest any sort of sequence other than, perhaps the strengthening of defences on the gentler slopes. Speculatively the two breaks in the N and NE may suggest replacement of an entrance at some time, perhaps with the addition of the outermost bank. The suggestion, by the RCAHMS (1956), of a second entrance on the opposing side of the fort does not appear to substantiated by the current survey. Indeed whilst proposed gates on the N and NE both lead into a yard area between the rampart and the dwelling area, an entrance here would lead onto the exposed summit ridge. There does, however, seem to be a sequence between the house sites, recorded in the interior.

THE INTERIOR

There are traces of at least eleven house sites within the uneven interior of the fort, of which five are clearly defined. Two principal forms may be recognised; simple platforms and more complex structures displaying traces of grooves and (or) walling.

Platform (1) is situated at the N end of the interior against the innermost rampart. It comprises a sub-circular level area measuring 4.6m from NE to SW by 4m within shallow rear and front scarps. A later ring-groove house (5) overlies the back scarp.

Platform (2) lies 4m to the E of platform (1). It comprises a level subrectangular platform measuring 8m from NW to SE by 4.2m within low rear and front scarps. Although there are no direct relationships between this and other house stances, the platform is situated immediately downslope from the ring-groove house (6) which cuts platform (3).

Platform (3) is situated about 1.5m S of platform (2) and measures about 7m from NE to SW by over 6m transversely within shallow rear and front scarps. There is a suggestion of a narrow ring-groove on the W side of the rear scarp although this has been heavily truncated by later ring-groove houses (6) on the N and (7) on the S.

Some 4m to the SE, there is a further platform (4), also overlain by the ring-groove house (7). It measures 6.5m from N to S and at least 5m from E to W within rear and front scarps. Two further possible platform stances (8 and 9), represented by low rear scarps, are situated immediately downslope from platforms (3 and 4). All six possible platforms lie on the NE-facing side of the ridge below the summit. They overlook an open area measuring some 20m from NNW to SSE by 10m against the N to NE angle of the innermost bank.

A ring-groove house (5) lies hard against the N angle of the enclosing bank. It comprises a shallow rock-cut groove defining a central level stance measuring 6m in diameter with a 4m diameter central depression. The groove is ill-defined on the S and almost disappears on the E where it would have overlain the rear scarp of platform (1).

A second ring-groove house (6) comprises a rock-cut groove averaging 1m in width surrounding a central platform 5m in diameter. The NE edge of the platform falls away to the NE. The house overlies platform (3) as does a double ring-groove house (7).

The double ring-groove house (7) comprises a central platform measuring 7m from NW to SE by 6m transversely defined by a slight ditch or groove which fades out on the SW side. A medial bank averaging 1m in width separates the inner groove from the outer groove. This groove is rock cut, through both platforms (3 and 4). The house platform measures about 12m in overall diameter.

At the SE end of the ridge crossing the site, there is a possible double ring-groove house (10). It comprises a central sub-circular platform measuring 8m from NE to SW by 7m within a shallow ditch 0.5m in width. There is a suggestion of an outer groove on the NNW side but this could only be traced for some 4m. The E angle of the inner groove is cut by the outer groove of the double ring-groove house (11) which comprises a central platform partially levelled into the hillside surrounded by twin grooves. The platform measures 7m from NW to SE within a low rear scarp by about 5m although within an oval area measuring 3m by 4m is defined by a, possibly later, bank. The platform with rear scarp is surrounded by a 0.8m wide groove interrupted only on the E for an entrance. A medial bank spread up to 1.8m in width and thickening towards the terminals separates the inner groove from the outer groove which survives on the W half of the house site. This groove measures about 1.6m in width and cuts the E half of the double ring-groove house (10).

A small bank spread up to 1.8m in width and with a break in the SSW side encloses a 2m diameter area (12) to the SW of the double ring-groove house (10).

The ring-groove houses occupy the upper part of the ridge, again facing to the NE. They would seem to overlie the vestiges of structures levelled into the lower slope of the ridge but there is also a suggestion of a sequence between themselves (houses 10 and 11).

Information from RJ Mercer (University of Edinburgh) 22 March 1987

RCAHMS MS 2598. No. 20/238