Ewes Doors

NY39NE 5 centred 3733 9865

See also NY39NE 28.

(A: NY 3721 9863 - NY 3742 9879) Earthwork (NR)

(B: NY 3737 9862 - NY 3740 9866)

(C: NY 3738 9855 - NY 3745 9867) Earthworks (NR)

OS 6" map (1964).

Three linear earthworks cross the old route from Caerlanrig to Eweslees at the point where it crosses the watershed separating Teviotdale from Eskdale.

Earthwork 'A' runs NE from an excavated hollow, 30 yds from the boundary fence and 60 yds from a gate, nearly to the 1250 ft contour on the opposite side of the pass. It is thus about 250 yds in length over a gap 50 yds wide worn by the traffic on the old road. For the most part it is a ditch and bank of varying overall breadth, but towards its NE end it turns into a ditch with two banks, and this in turn into a bank without any ditch, as if this end had been extended after the completion of the rest.

'B', which seems to be incomplete, lies on the steep NE slope of the gully leading down from the pass. Its lower end does not now reach the bottom and may have been destroyed in the course of improvements to the road.

'C' also descends the NE slope some 40 yds lower down the gully, and after interruption by the road at the bottom, dies out on the SW slope some 20 yds beyond.

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1949

These three linear earthworks are generally as described by the RCAHMS. The bank of the most north-westerly work (A), which lies on the SE side of the ditch, has a maximum height of 0.5m, while the ditch seldom exceeds a depth of 0.3m. There are only slight traces of a bank on the NW side of the ditch where the RCAHMS mentions double banks. The centre work (B) consists of a ditch, maximum depth 0.5m and width 5.0m, with traces of an associated bank on its SE side. The SW ends of this work lies at the head of a natural gully which extends down to the old road some 40m away. The most south-easterly work (C) is the best preserved, having a bank on the NW side 1.0m high and a ditch 0.5m deep.

Surveyed at 1:10560.

Visited by OS (RDL) 31 July 1962.