Antonine Wall: Inveravon

NS 9612 7987 Ditch located by trenching across this sector (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9523 7978 Cottage built on N lip of Ditch; its S end-gable is badly cracked. The ground to the E on or about the wooded knoll has been terraced and altered (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9523 7978 Cottage built on N lip of Ditch; its S end-gable is badly cracked. The ground to the E on or about the wooded knoll has been terraced and altered (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9515 7973 Course of the Ditch was located by trenching (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9597 7983 Ditch lies beneath road and to S of it. Ploughed-up wall foundations found in field (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9672 7998 Ditch and road follow same approximate course. Traces of the wall-base found on the S side of hedge (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9558 7974 Cottage astride wall-base (Macdonald 1925).

NS 9546 7980 Presence of the Ditch was revealed by cracks in the S gable of the farmhouse (Macdonald 1934).

NS 9503 7966 The Ditch reached the bank of the mill-lade about 60ft (18.2m) downstream from the weir (Macdonald 1934)

NS 9505 7960 Beginning at a point nearly opposite the weir, a well-marked depression runs southwards up towards the road (Macdonald 1934)

NS 9502 7958 The Ditch was shown as a broad hollow on the OS 25 inch 1955 but was noted as only faintly visible in 1957 (Information from OS 1957).

NS 9515 7973 In 1967, the line of the Wall was traced across the field (Robertson 1979).

In 1967 the line of the Wall was traced across the field on the E bank of the Avon and a small Roman structure was located close to the river bank (at NS 9510 7967). The structure had been attached to the rear of the Wall and measured at least 90' N-S by 66' E-W. Much coarse ware pottery, of Antonine date, was found. Further investigation is in prospect.

A S Robertson 1973; G Macdonald 1934; D R Wilson 1968

Excavation in 1967.

A S Robertson 1973; D R Wilson 1968

NS 9526 7980 N edge of ditch uncovered 133ft (40.5m) N of gas compound (which is 26ft 3ins (8m) N of Macdonald's line) (Price 1973).

NS 950 796 A concentration of worked stones in a 3.05m spread was found in the bed of the River Avon at the point where the Antonine Wall is thought to have approached the river from the E.

L J F Keppie 1973; D R Wilson 1974.

NS 951 796. Sherds of Roman and medieval pottery were picked up on the surface of this ploughed field.

J J Walker 1974

NS 9656 7996 Ditch exposed by pipe trench. Wall-base and Military Way also located. The modern road was on the upcast mound (Price 1974).

NS 9542 7980 Excavations show that the Wall ran straight down the hill and did not lie to the S at this point (Price 1974).

NS 965 799 At 3.5km WSW of Bo'ness a pipe-trench exposed the ditch, 9.8m wide and 3.7m deep, and the badly damaged foundations of the Antonine Wall, 4.3m wide, separated by a berm 7.3m wide. The Military Way lay 12.2m behind the Wall.

E J Price 1974; D R Wilson 1975.

There is nothing visible on the ground; the area is under plough.

Visited by OS (BS) 20 March 1975

NS 952 797. Finds of lattice decorated flue tiles from suspected fort. NS 951 796: Finds of Roman and Medieval pottery flue tiles, and a red clay gaming ball from site of fort.

DES 1975; 1976

NS 9578 7977 During pipe-laying operations the Wall was sectioned. The Ditch was 9.7m broad, 2m deep, but its edges were disturbed. No trace of the upcast mound or wall-base was found. The line was approximate with Macdonald's (Keppie 1978; Main 1976).

NS 958 797 The Antonine Wall ditch, 9.7m wide, was located in a pipe-line trench approximately on Macdonald's line.

Archaeological Excavations 1976; S S Frere 1977.

NS 9578 7977 During pipe-laying operations the Wall was sectioned. The Ditch was 9.7m broad, 2m deep, but its edges were disturbed. No trace of the upcast mound or wall-base was found. The line was approximate with Macdonald's (Keppie 1978; Main 1976).

NS 958 797 A pipe-trench has cut across the line of the Antonine Wall frontier 300m E of Inveravon Farm, close to a pipeline laid in 1976 (Keppie 1978). The stone base of the Wall proved to have been totally removed, but the Ditch itself was located and a section drawn. It was extremely narrow, only c.7.5m wide (Keppie 1983).

Inveravon, Fort NS 051 796 NS97NE 21

Roman fort postulated in this area on grounds of spacing. Excavation in 1967 revealed a small structure, probably a fortlet, attached to the rear of the wall.

RCAHMS 1978, visited July 1977

(Macdonald 1934, 192-4; Wilson 1968, 178;- Robertson 1973, 46-8; DES, 1974, 69)

There is no trace of either the Antonine Wall line nor the stone foundations (located by excavation) in the regularly ploughed field.

Visited by OS (MJF) 17 February 1980

NS 9600 7984 to NS 9629 7988 Published survey revised. No trace across arable fields.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9556 7975 to NS 9600 7984 No surface evidence across arable fields. A crop-mark of what is probably a short length of the Military Way is visible on RCAHMS aerial photograph (WL-2021-3), running roughly parallel to the Wall S of Inveravon cottage. Alignment angles have been introduced which correspond to the natural contours and respect findings of NS 9578 7977.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9503 7966 to NS 9525 7979 Vague soil-marks of the Ditch are traceable across the sloping field. Line plotted with aid of RCAHMS aerial photographs (WL 1539-40, 1977 and WL 1594-6, 1977). The cottage at NS 9523 7978 has been demolished.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9503 7962 Remains of the weir can still be seen. The river formerly bifurcated at this point, but the northerly channel has now silted. No trace of the Ditch or Wall-base was found in the riverbanks.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9502 7958 No surface traces.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9637 7989 to NS 9680 8000 Published survey (OS 25 inch 1962) revised. There are no surface remains except for vague traces of the ploughed-down Ditch on the steep W-facing hill - slope at NS 9679 8000. The revised line respects findings at NS 9656 7996.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9629 7988 to NS 9637 7989 Published survey revised. No trace, but as late as 1957 the Ditch turn was visible as a spread hollow some 40m wide (Information from OS 1957).

Information from OS 1980

NS 951 797. Roman Fort, Inveravon - visible on air photographs flown in 1977.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9525 7979 to NS 9540 7982 No trace. Survey has been modified to run parallel to escarpment and turn on the highest point.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9540 7982 to NS 9556 7975 Much rebuilding at Inveravon farm has left little evidence of the subsidence noted by Macdonald.

Information from OS 1980

NS 9600 7984 to NS 9680 8000 The general course across this sheet is not in doubt. No trace of the Military Way was found; the isolated evidence of NS 9656 7996 is insufficient for publication.

Information from OS 1980

NS 958 797 A pipe-line 300m E of Inveravon Farm, close to one cut in 1976 (see S S Frere 1977), revealed the Antonine ditch which was only 7.5m wide. No trace of the Wall survived. The trench also intersected a known marching camp (NS97NE 14).

S S Frere 1984.

Excavation of the frontier was carried out in August 1983 ahead of the laying of two gas pipelines across the Wall and the adjacent temporary camp (NS97NE 14), 300m E of Inveravon Farm. No stonework was detected although a slipped turfwork was detected at one point. Both lips of the ditch were located in the sides of the pipe-trench, showing a width of c.7.5m. The line is 6m S of that shown on current OS maps.

L J F Keppie and J J Walker 1990

NS 952 797 Aerial photography and excavation have been undertaken in advance of the emplacement of a pipeline through the Scheduled area.

Following a programme of geophysical survey, a single trench 2m wide and 84.5m long, located on the line of the pipe trench, was excavated through the Scheduled area from March to June 1991. A complex structural sequence was recorded. The standard components of rampart, road, berm, ditch and upcast mound were present. These features appear to have been attended at an early stage by a buttress-type feature attached to the southern face of the rampart. This resembles most in form an 'expansion'.

A small fort or fortlet (see NS97NE 21.01), with an internal north-south dimension of approximately 35m between ramparts, subsequently replaced this feature. Two distinct occupation horizons are contained within the ramparts. Sponsor: Shell Chemicals UK.

CFA 1991; A Dunwell 1992

A small fort was built (see NS97NE 21.00), using the Antonine Wall (NS97NE 21.00/RRX 505) as its N rampart and the Military Way as its via principalis. It measures slightly less than 35m from N to S between ramparts, though no indication of its E-W dimension was attained due to the narrowness of the excavation trench. This dimension is substantially greater than those of the excavated fortlets known on the Antonine Wall, but markedly less than that of the smallest previously known fort on the frontier, at Duntocher. The presence of the River Avon presents a severe constraint on the N-S extent of the fort, and it is possible that the E-W dimension has been increased to compensate for this. No external southern ditches were found, this requirement probably being met by the River Avon. Defensive pits appear to have been added to the berm with the construction of the installation.

The evidence of a type 18/31-31 Samian dish with the stamp of Asiaticus, which was sealed beneath the fort deposits to the S of the via principalis, strongly suggests that the construction of the installation can be dated to 155 AD - 160 AD (information from Brenda Dickinson).

The mortaria assemblage from deposits associated with the buildings also indicates that occupation was not before AD 160 (information from Kay Hartley). The ceramic and stratigraphic evidence combine to demonstrate that the installation at Inveravon was not a primary element of the frontier system.

The excavated area showed two clear phases of occupation within the fort, though the limited nature of excavation did not allow specific identification of the buildings. The second phase is marked by a change in alignment of the southern buildings, accompanied by a narrowing of the via principalis, which appears to have been relieved by the construction of a further road situated immediately outside the southern rampart of the fort. There is no evidence of any abandonment between the two occupations are, however, apparent. The fort was subsequently demolished and levelled. (Fig 5)

These two phases of occupation were preceded by the poorly preserved remains of a possible iron smelting furnace adjacent to the southern rampart, although no stratigraphic relationship survived between the two. An Antonine date for the furnace was confirmed by its pottery assemblage.

CFA 1992; S S Frere 1992.

Although there is a long tradition of a fort at Inveravon, there is no firm evidence of it. Trenching has produced a stone structure and occupation debris. Aerial photographs show a series of linear cropmarks to the east of the structure (see NS97NE 65), but these cannot be identified as the fort.

Excavations were carried out at Inveravon from March to June 1991, in advance of the construction of the North West Ethylene Pipeline.

These have confirmed the presence of a small fort on the Antonine Wall (NS97NE 21.01) in the field immediately E of the River Avon. Previous excavations by Professor Anne Robertson had located a stone structure in association with cobbled surfaces to the S of the Antonine Wall.

Aerial and geophysical survey carried out prior to excavation both clearly defined the course of the Ditch, but no other definite archaeological features were identified. A single trench 84.5m long by 2m wide was excavated perpendicular to the alignment of the frontier system, in accordance with the terms of Scheduled Monument Consent. A complex and relatively well preserved stratigraphic sequence was found.

The frontier system - a buttress-like structure, most probably an 'expansion' was appended to the S face of the Antonine Wall as part of its initial construction. Its alignment appears deliberately to have been 8 to 10 degrees from perpendicular to that of the Antonine Wall, suggesting a trapezoidal ground plan. The ditch ran 9.2m to the N of the rampart, and was c8m wide. The terms of Scheduled Monument Consent did not permit full excavation of the ditch. The upcast mound spread out to the N of the ditch for 13m. The Military Way ran 16m to the S of the rampart. It was 5.2m wide, clearly cambered and constructed of a rammed pebble surface set on a cobble base.

At some stage the expansion and/or rampart suffered a sudden collapse, creating a large mound of earth at the junction between the two. Sealed beneath this collapse was an irregular arrangement of stake-holes and a patch of occupation debris. This activity clearly relates to the use of the expansion, but does not elucidate its nature.

CFA 1992; S S Frere 1992.

NS 9510 7970 Excavation in advance of pipeline construction has provided further information on the nature of the Roman Military site (NS97NE 21.01) which abutted to the S of the Antonine Wall. The excavated section of Antonine Wall (or Rampart) was c. 4.4m wide and up to c. 0.7m high. Its stone base, predominately of millstone grit but including a few river cobbles, was preserved intact, and comprised roughly of dressed kerbs containing a core of undressed blocks and chunks bonded by a stiff yellow clay. The millstone grit must have been quarried elsewhere and imported to the site, whereas the cobbles could have been obtained locally from the River Avon. Positioned directly above the stone kerbs were c.0.3m-0.4m wide cheeks comprising blocks of turf and clay. The S cheek was preserved up to 0.30m high and was of complex construction. The N cheek survived no more than 0.10m high and no trace of internal structure could be identified. The basic pattern of a predominately earthen core revetted by cheeks of clay and/or turf is recorded in nearly all sections of the Antonine Wall excavated to the E of Watling Lodge (NS87NE 52.00), and was repeated at Inveravon (Keppie 1974).

The western side of an abutting structure was revealed immediately to the S of the Rampart. This structure extended S for c.7.8m and survived up to c. 0.7m high. The stone kerb of the Antonine Wall continued unbroken past its junction with that of the abutting feature, with the implication that the latter was a secondary construction. The characteristics of this abutting construction most resemble those of an 'expansion'. Only six such structures have been identified on the Antonine frontier, occurring in pairs at Tentfield (NS87NE 5.00), Bonnyside East (NS87NW 4.00), and Croy Hill (NS77NW 16.00). However, the recorded width of c. 7.8m for Inveravon is substantially larger than the 5.5m maximum demonstrated by excavation at Bonnyside East (NS87NW 4.02) and Croy Hill East (NS77NW 16.02). Furthermore, the only detailed ground plan recorded, at Bonnyside East, was square. The exposed fraction of the Inveravon structure indicates clearly that it does not have a square ground plan.

The Berm was 9.2m wide and sloped gently down towards the S lip of the Ditch. Its uneven surface, defined by the gritty subsoil, as covered with a mixed clay deposits for a distance of up to 3.80m northward from the Rampart. The clay may represent trampled waste material from the construction of the Rampart. Two features were identified on the Berm. The first a steep-sided elongated pit or gully c.1.6m N of the Rampart, an exposed length of 1.35m, 0.4m wide and more than 0.3m deep. The second, probably of similar type laid c.3.3m N of the Rampart, was 0.55m wide and 0.25m deep, with steep sides. Features with similar characteristics, termed 'defensive pits' by Bailey (1990, 1992), have recently been located on the Berm at other locations, such as Callendar Park (NS97NW 46.01) and Garnhall (NS77NE 62.00 at NS 780 779, Keppie 1993). No evidence was found in the base of either example for the emplacement of upright posts or stakes, which might indicate an origin as lilia.

Only the upper 1.15m of the Ditch fills was excavated. The Ditch had a surface width of c. 8.2m, although its upper edges were not sharply defined. Coring suggested that the Ditch had a total depth of c.2.5m.

The truncated remains of the Upcast Mound, 12.4m-13m wide lay c.2.7m N of the Ditch, and survived up to 0.8m high. It is unclear whether the gap between the Ditch and the Upcast Mound was a deliberate design feature.

Sponsored by: Shell Chemicals UK Ltd.

A Dunwell and I Ralston 1995

G B Bailey 1990, 1992; L J F Keppie 1974, 1993.

An aerial transcription was produced from oblique aerial photographs. Information from Historic Environment Scotland (BM) 31 March 2017.

Site recorded during a desk-based assessment and field survey of a proposed pipeline route running from the proposed Mossmorran Offtake Station to the proposed End Terminal at BP Grangemouth.

NS 9490 7950 - NS 9675 8000 Antonine Wall (NS 97 NE 21.00).

Two detailed reports will be lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsor: Penspen Ltd.

C McGill 1998

Site recorded during a desk-based assessment and field survey of a proposed pipeline route running from the proposed Mossmorran Offtake Station to the proposed End Terminal at BP Grangemouth.

NS 9490 7950 - NS 9675 8000 Antonine Wall (NS 97 NE 21.00).

Two detailed reports will be lodged with the NMRS.

Sponsor: Penspen Ltd.

C McGill 1998

Report: Inveravon Farm, Falkirk. Archaeological Evaluation.

Soil Zone 5

Soil Zone 4

Soil Zone 3

Soil Zone 2

Soil Zone 1

The line of the ditch of the Antonine Wall has been recorded as a cropmark on oblique aerial photography (RCAHMSAP 1983, 2001). Field boundaries that are also visible are depicted on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (West Lothian 1856,sheet I).

Information from RCAHMS (ACM) 29 April 2008

NS 951 797 The Antonine Ditch has been detected by the magnetic survey but the anomaly varies in strength and definition; it does not appear with any clarity in the resistance results. The Rampart has been identified tentatively and intermittently in the resistance data, but has remained largely undetected by the magnetic survey. Anomalies which might relate to the Military Way are apparent in the magnetic results but the interpretation is far from confident and alternative origins are equally, if not more likely. Neither geophysical technique has successfully mapped the limits of the Fort or detected any of its main defences. Resistance anomalies within the presumed area of the fort may reflect rubble associated with collapsed buildings but no discrete wall lines have been identified. Both surveys have yielded anomalies associated with cropmarks, but the exact nature and function of these features remains unclear. Since excavation has confirmed the presence and survival of archaeological features at Inveravon, their general under-representation in the geophysical datasets is attributed to a combination of natural and modern factors.

C Stephens (Information from OASIS ID: gsbprosp1-43987), 14 Mar 2008.

A 1:25000 scale map of the Antonine Wall was published by RCAHMS in 2008. The map shows the course of the Antonine Wall on a modern map base, including areas where the Wall is in public ownership or care and can be visited. The data had been collated as part of the project to prepare maps for the World Heritage Site nomination bid.

An archaeological watching brief was carried out by Rathmell Archaeology Limited between the 30th July 2019 to the 28th of August 2019 - undertaken for Central Scotland Green Network Trust in an area associated with the Antonine Wall in support of the upgrading of a section of cycle path.

The archaeological works were designed to mitigate any adverse impact on the archaeological remains within the affected areas. The excavation of three pits for manhole chambers and four sections of drain were monitored as part of these works. The only evidence of anthropic activity within these areas related to previous field drainage works and no material relating to the Roman occupation was uncovered

Information from Sarah Krischer, (Rathmell Archaeology Ltd), 3rd October 2019

OASIS ID: rathmell1-351064