Giant's Dike

This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.

Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.

This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.

Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.

This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project. Site descriptions, organised by county, are available to view online - see the searchable PDF in 'Digital Items'. These vary from short notes, to lengthy and full descriptions. Contemporary plane-table surveys and inked drawings, where available, can be viewed online in most cases - see 'Digital Images'. The original typecripts, notebooks and drawings can also be viewed in the RCAHMS search room.

Information from RCAHMS (GFG) 19 July 2013.

This fort is situated on the crest of Barstobrick Hill, the summit of which is crowned by Neilson's Monument (NX65SE 14). A spread of rubble about 3m thick and up to 1m in height defines the S, W and N sides of the fort, the eastern side being largely defined by cliff lines, although a slight wall, along a cliff top, was traced to midway along the E side from the S. To the NE there are traces of an inner face to the rampart, up to four courses high, which has the appearance of collapsing outwards. There are at least four entrances, of which two are secondary to the rampart. To the SE and in the centre of the W side, gaps in the rampart are coincidental with gullies which ride up over the crest of the ridge into the interior; that on the W is particularly well defined. There is no disturbance of the rampart to indicate that these entrances are secondary, and their coincidence with natural, defensible routes to the summit suggests that they are primary. In the SW a gap has been punched through the rampart and a causeway constructed on the S. To the N a small gap has been cut through the rampart, from the E side of which runs a small rickle of stones for a distance of about 10m. There is a large quarry in the centre of the W side of the fort, from which a slight trackway leads to Neilson's Monument, with which the secondary entrance to the SW may be associated.

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 3 May 1990.

This fort is situated on the crest of Barstobrick Hill, the summit of which is crowned by Neilson's Monument (NX65SE 14). A spread of rubble about 3m thick and up to 1m in height defines the S, W and N sides of the fort, the eastern side being largely defined by cliff lines, although a slight wall, along a cliff top, was traced to midway along the E side from the S. To the NE there are traces of an inner face to the rampart, up to four courses high, which has the appearance of collapsing outwards. There are at least four entrances, of which two are secondary to the rampart. To the SE and in the centre of the W side, gaps in the rampart are coincidental with gullies which ride up over the crest of the ridge into the interior; that on the W is particularly well defined. There is no disturbance of the rampart to indicate that these entrances are secondary, and their coincidence with natural, defensible routes to the summit suggests that they are primary. In the SW a gap has been punched through the rampart and a causeway constructed on the S. To the N a small gap has been cut through the rampart, from the E side of which runs a small rickle of stones for a distance of about 10m. There is a large quarry in the centre of the W side of the fort, from which a slight trackway leads to Neilson's Monument, with which the secondary entrance to the SW may be associated.

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 3 May 1990.

This fort takes in the summit and upper slopes of Barstobrick Hill. Irregular on plan, its wall has been largely reduced to a mound of rubble about 3m in thickness by up to 1m in height, which roughly follows the contour from the edge of the crags on the NE round the western flank of the hill to return to the crags on the S. At one point on the NE four courses of the collapsed inner face can be seen. The eastern flank, while not wholly inaccessible, has been left largely open, and only one short fragment of wall has been identified on this side. The interior which descends westwards and southwards in a series of rocky terraces, measures about 300m from NNE to SSW by 135m transversely (2.7ha). There are four gaps in the wall, namely on the N, W, SW and SSW; those on the N and SW are secondary, but those on the W and SSW take advantage of natural gullies that provide routes up onto the summit. Apart from the Neilson monument on the summit, the only other features in the interior are relatively recent quarries on the W side.

Information from An Atlas of Hillforts of Great Britain and Ireland – 23 May 2016. Atlas of Hillforts SC0262