Burnfoot Hill
Scooped Settlement (Iron Age)
Site Name Burnfoot Hill
Classification Scooped Settlement (Iron Age)
Alternative Name(s) Burnfoot House; Birren
Canmore ID 67647
Site Number NY38NW 6
NGR NY 33472 88861
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/67647
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Westerkirk
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
NY38NW 6 3347 8886
(NY 3347 8886) Birren (NAT)
OS 6" map (1957)
Enclosure, Burnfoot Hill: On the edge of a high, right bank of the Burnfoot Burn, 150 yards NE of Burnfoot House (NY38NW 33), there is an oval scooped hollow, 150 yds by 120ft, which has undoubtedly been an enclosure although there are now no visible signs of any surrounding wall or bank. A gap in the rim of the hollow on the S arc may represent the site of the original entrance, but the interior is featureless.
RCAHMS TS, visited 1955.
Indicated as a 'scooped enclosure' on Jobey's map.
G Jobey 1971.
This earthwork, which is probably a small settlement, is as described. The spreading back scarp is up to 2.2m high and on the edge of the steep, natural slopes on the downhill side, there is a 0.5m high inner scarp. The inner is now covered by dense vegetation.
Surveyed at 1/2500.
Visited by OS (MJF) 21 September 1979.
Field Visit (13 July 1955)
This site was included within the RCAHMS Marginal Land Survey (1950-1962), an unpublished rescue project.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.
Field Visit (January 1981)
Burnfoot NY 334 888 NY38NW 6
A scooped hollow about 150m NW of Burnfoot House is probably a prehistoric settlement; it is oval, measuring 43m by 35m and up to 2.5m in depth on the SW.
RCAHMS 1981, visited January 1981
Note (1997)
NY 3347 8886 NY38NW 6
Listed as settlement.
RCAHMS 1997.
