Carronbridge

The intersection of this camp with enclosure NX89NE 60 was excavated in 1990. This showed that the two were not associated. The lower fill of the ditch of this camp was a fine mottled sandy deposit, quite unlike any other deposits on the site. This may represent redeposited turf from an internal bank.

D Johnston 1990b.

First recorded in 1949 by St Joseph from the air as cropmarks (Clarke and Webster 1955: 9), the camp at Carronbridge lies not far from the fort and camps at Drumlanrig, on the east bank of the Carron Water, a tributary of the River Nith. It is sited next to an Iron Age/Romano-British settlement that has been extensively excavated (Clarke and Webster 1955; Johnston 1994).

Measuring 69m from north-east to south-west by at least 72m transversely (the north-west side is obscured by trees), the camp probably enclosed just over 0.5ha (1.3 acres). Tituli are recorded on the south-west, south-east and north-east sides.

The camp cuts across an earlier enclosure with which it is aligned. This earlier enclosure was originally thought to be a Roman fortlet (Clarke and Webster 1955: 31) but was later interpreted as a pre-Roman Iron Age enclosure with an internal palisade whose ditch was over half full when the camp was built (Johnston 1994: 285–6).

Excavations in 1989–90 recorded that the camp ditch followed that of the earlier enclosure where the two intersected. Seven pits were located just inside the Roman camp ditch which contained charred emmer wheat. A probable oven was also excavated outside the camp and cutting the palisade trench and inner edge of the ditch of the earlier enclosure: this was presumed to belong to the camp and was radiocarbon dated to c ad 25–240 (Johnston 1994: 255–9). Although the earlier enclosure may be Iron Age in date, the dimensions and profile of its V-shaped ditch (2.4–3.35m in width, 1.06–1.28m in depth) together with its alignment with the camp means that the possibility of a Roman origin should not be entirely ruled out.

R H JONES

A programme of archaeological monitoring works was undertaken on the 29th July 2019 in respect of works at Carronbridge near Thornhill in Dumfries & Galloway. The works comprised a project to upgrade the Penpont 11kV

Overhead Line.

A section of the works (poles 18; 19 & 20) required to be undertaken within an area recognised as being of national importance and designated as a Scheduled Monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act (1979) relating to Carronbridge Roman Fortlet and enclosures at Carronbridge (SM4093). The monument comprises the remains of a fortlet and enclosures which are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs.

Archaeological works were required as there was potential to affect surviving sub-surface archaeological features or deposits of national significance and / or enable recovery of unstratified finds in previously disturbed ground. The archaeological works involved the monitoring of the

excavation of three pole pits (18; 19 & 20) and four stay wire pits (one for pole 18; one large pit for pole 19 and two pits for pole 20).

The excavations revealed very sterile pits which all contained fairly lose fills and no significant archaeological remains of finds were identified during the course of the monitoring works.

Information from OASIS ID - rebeccas1-397189 (R Shaw) 2019