Torwood - Dalswinton - Crawford

NS90NW 7 9048 0500 to 9318 0999. RR 4

Formerly RR 77.

From sheet edge to a point some 400 yds SW of Glenhourie Burn (NS 906 051) the Roman road has been used as a cart-track and its point to point course is obscured; it keeps about 40 yds W of the Kirk Burn. At NS 906 051 the modern track bends E towards the stream, but the Roman road keeps straight on, forming a well-preserved cambered causeway until Glenhourie Burn is passed. There is then a gap of 250 yds where the stream has destroyed all traces. The agger reappears a little S of the oblique angle in a wall opposite Stony Cleuch; at the angle the road lies wholly to the E of the wall for a few yards, then crosses the wall again and ascends to the watershed between Kirk Burn and the Potrail Water; the most likely line follows a much eroded causeway along the foot of a steep slope, with a small zigzag below Wee Well Craigs. At the county boundary it is joined by a later hollow-way, which closely accompanies and frequently obscures it along the lower slopes of Well Hill, the Roman causeway being visible only intermittently, as on the N side of Allan Cleuch (922066), where it is approximately 5.5m wide. However, more continuous traces of the agger become visible as it proceeds further N, crossing the low-lying ground on either side of the Cleuch Burn and climbing more or less directly up the SE shoulder of Laght Hill; half-way up the ascent it is intersected by the modern road from Thornhill to Crawford (A702). About 400m N of the intersection the Roman road turns sharply to the NE, eventually converging with the modern highway 350m NNE of Troloss Cottage (930098). For the next 5km the two roads follow practically the same course close to the left bank of the Potrail Water, the Roman causeway being visible only as isolated sectors, sometimes accompanied by quarry-pits, in the loops of the modern road.

J K St Joseph 1952; RCAHMS 1978.

NS 9160 0595 - NS 9190 0616 Metalled road in hollow 4m wide with bank 4m wide on E side.

NS 9190 0616 - NS 9217 0652 Two terraces at successive levels lie W of Well Path; upper, 3.5m wide, lower 5m wide; marshy course. Well Path appears as a hollow, 4m wide.

NS 9217 0652 - NS 9243 0700 Metalled road on shelf 6m wide above another old road 8m wide; the upper road is probably the line of the Roman road.

NS 9423 0700 - NS 9260 0785 Metalled road in hollow 4m broad with bank 4m broad on E side. No evidence of road cutting across spur of hill between

NY 9262 0765 and NS 9260 0785 on western of two lines shown on OS 6-inch map, 1961.

NS 9260 0785 - NS 9258 0793 Hollow-way 4m broad.

NS 9258 0793 Paved ford, crossing Accinfern Burn.

NS 9258 0793 - NS 9258 0836 Mutilated cart-track on line of metalled road; small stone-built bridge over the Cleuch Burn at NS 9256 0817.

NS 9258 0836 - NS 9257 0850 Mutilated agger between hollow-ways; 5m broad.

NS 9257 0850 - NS 9253 0891 Agger 5m broad with deep hollow of old road on E side.

NS 9253 0891 - NS 9266 0913 Agger merges with rutted hollow.

NS 9266 0913 At Reeshaw Burn: good section of agger 3.5m broad road. Hollow on W is 3m broad. Metalling visible in section.

NS 9266 0913 - NS 9288 0948 Mound 5m broad, 0.2m high. Hollow-way on W side. Both situated on a shelf 1m high on E.

NS 9288 0948 - NS 9311 0987 No trace in pasture fields and crossing main road (A702).

NS 9311 0987 - NS 9318 0999 OS 6-inch map, annotated by O G S Crawford on 28 October 1938, notes 'line of wall on course of road'. Crawford confirmed.

Visited by OS (JLD) 24 July 1959.

NS 9048 0500 - NS 9087 0551 Modern track. No alternative route for Roman line suggested on the ground.

NS 9087 0551 Easily forded stream (Glenhourie Burn)

NS 9087 0551 - NS 9109 0570 No trace.

NS 9109 0570 - NS 9160 0595 Route reaches watershed by a series of hollow-ways.

NS 9160 0595 - NS 9190 0616 18th-century coach road on line.

NS 9190 0616 - NS 9217 0652 Route as published on OS 6-inch map, 1961 doubtful - narrow and very peaty.

NS 9217 0652 - NS 9229 0671 Terrace 6m wide.

NS 9229 0671 - NS 9262 0765 Roman line obscured by coach road and later track.

NS 9262 0765 - NS 9258 0793 Hollow-way approaching Accinfern Burn.

NS 9258 0793 - NS 9258 0836 No trace. Modern track probably on line.

NS 9258 0836 - NS 9257 0850 Hollow-way on line.

NS 9257 0850 - NS 9253 0891 Distinct mound along W side of hollow-way.

NS 9253 0891 - NS 9264 0911 Faint traces of causeway across marshy ground.

NS 9264 0911 - NS 9266 0913 Distinct causeway approaching Reeshaw Burn.

NS 9266 0913 - NS 9288 0948 Well-defined shelf 6m wide across moorland.

NS 9288 0948 - NS 9294 0958 Shelf continues under modern drive.

NS 9294 0958 - NS 9306 0979 Shelf less pronounced towards low, wet ground.

NS 9306 0979 - NS 9318 0999 No trace.

Visited by OS (BS) 25 March 1975.