Knockman Wood

NX46NW 4 4177 6851.

(NX 418 685) Pictish Underground Dwelling (NR).

OS 1" map (4th Series)

A homestead excavated by Edwards in July 1922 when it was shown to consist of a wall of coursed rubble 4'to 9' thick enclosing a floor, partly paved and measuring 11' 6" by 5' 9", set at a depth of 3' 6" below ground level. A hearth was set into the floor, The walls splayed outwards until at ground level the interior dimensions were 13' 6" by 11'. The entrance passage with portal stones in situ was in the NNE and was 9' 3" long, with an angled recess. A boulder formed a stepdown to the floor. There were no dateable finds.

Before excavation this homestead, described as a hut cicle by Edwards, appeared as a shallow oval depression 13' by 11' within an earth and stone bank circa 2' in maximum height, and formed part of complex of enclosures and heaps of boulders which extends from Knockman Wood (NX 41 69) to the wood south of Cumloden Deer Park (NX 42 69). The enclosures are mostly circular some being large enough to be cattle folds while others are mere swellings on the natural surface. A good proportion of them are of the hut circle type with the walls remaining as scatters of loose boulders.

A J H Edwards 1923

At NX 4177 6851 is a stone lined hole 1.0m deep, measuring 3.8m NE-SW by 3.0m transversely, enclosed by a ruined wall 1.5m in maximum width and up to 0.3m above ground level. There is an apparent entrance, blocked by a large stone, in the NE. Although this feature is almost certainly the site excavated by Edwards it does not in any way resemble a homestead. About 15.0m to the E is a similar feature measuring 3.0m E-W by 2.7m transversely and enclosed by a low ruined wall 0.3m high and spread to 2.0m. It has water within and what appears to be a sluice in its S side. The age and nature of these two features is uncertain but the former may be a kiln while the latter is possibly a pond.

A circular stone-walled enclosure can be seen about 60.0m to the E of the above features. It has an internal measurement of 3.8m NE-SW by 3.5m transversely and is enclosed by crude walling 0.9m wide and 0.3m high. It has an apparent entrance in the NE. Although the origin of this enclosure is uncertain it is too small and insubstantial to be a hut circle.

At about 50.0m to the W of the first feature is a near circular stone walled enclosure 20.0m in diameter. It has on its S side a stone built shelter, similar to those found attached to sheep folds in this area, and has the appearance of a relatively modern structure.

These remains are situated within a large area of old field walls, corn drying kilns and clearance cairns, the largest of which is 10.0m in diameter and 1.5m high, and it seem likely that they are associated with farming in this area in recent times.

Visited by OS (BS) 8 April 1976