Antonine Wall: Callendar Park - Polmonthill

NS97NW 46.00 9000 7958 to 9500 7957

NS97NW 46.01 NS 9053 7950 Trial Excavation; Lilia; Buildings (Possible)

NS97NW 46.02 NS 9043 7952 Trial Excavation

NS97NW 46.03 NS 924 795 Watching Brief

NS97NW 46.04 NS 9260 7951 Roman Bridge

NS97NW 46.05 NS 9237 7957 Trial Excavation

NS97NW 46.06 NS 908 765 Ditch

NS97NW 46.07 NS 9360 7933 to 9368 7934 (Scheduled length)

NS97NW 46.08 NS 9265 7950 Trial Excavation

NS97NW 46.09 NS 9237 7957 Trial Excavation

NS97NW 46.10 NS 9045 7951 to NS 9367 7923 Antonine Wall, Military Way

See also NS97NW 57 Antonine Wall; Watching Brief

NS 9000 7958 to NS 9014 7956 The course, which is partially extant across open parkland, has one imperceptible alignment change. At its western end the Ditch is spread to about 14m in width, and is some 2m deep, but there is no trace of the Rampart. The published north scarp is largely natural, although probably representing the ploughed-down Outer Mound. Under Scottish Development Department (Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments) Guardianship.

NS 9014 7956 to NS 9020 7955 There is a distinct dip in the E fence-line of a private garden on the expected course of the Ditch.

NS 9020 7955 to NS 9037 7954 No surface trace across a landscaped open area. Published course resurveyed to agree with probable alignment angle at NS 9037 7954.

NS 9037 7954 to NS 9044 7955 Course modified on ground evidence and the resurveyed line between NS 9044 7955 to NS 9050 7955. This is the most natural angle to attain the established alignment further west. It follows the natural contour and edge of slope with the vaguest indication of a terrace on what is likely to be the Ditch-line.

NS 9044 7955 to NS 9050 7955 Extant but landscaped remains, under grass, comprise the S side of the Ditch (up to 1.5m high) and the downhill, low counterscarp of the Outer Mound (about 0.5m high)

Resurvey at 1:1250 gives a different alignment to the published course (OS 50 inch 1951), and, given a 6m berm in this sector it is now in complete sympathy with the excavated findings at NS 9051 7953. There is no surface trace of the Rampart here.

NS 9048 7953 Foundation of wall-base uncovered by excavation at several points (exact measurements given) (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9050 7955 to NS 9059 7954 Extant but landscaped remains under grass comprise the S side of the Ditch, c. 1.5m high, and the low profile of the Outer Mound, up to 0.5m high. Resurvey at 1:1250 gives a different alignment to the published course and, given a 6m berm in this sector, it is now in complete sympathy with the excavated findings at NS 9051 7953. There is no surface trace of the Rampart here.

NS 9051 7953 Foundations of wall-base uncovered at several points (Macdonald 1915)

NS 9059 7953 to NS 9064 7954 Resurvey of published course based on ground indications and a feasible interpretation of the evidences at NS 9060 7953 and NS 9063 7953.

Macdonald (1934) and Roy (1793) show no obvious deflection here, but although slight it must have been conspicuous for Maitland (1757) and Christopher Irvine (c. 1635-85) to have noted it. The published course crosses what must have been a steep NW-SE scarp at a very oblique angle. On the ground there is a marked downward angle at NS 9059 7953 commensurate with the former line of the Ditch.

NS 9060 7953 In 1953 several cuttings in the NE corner of Callendar Park show Rampart and Ditch to turn northwards (Hunter 1953).

NS 9063 7953 Macdonald quotes Maitland as to a '24ft southwards' deflection of the Wall at this point. Christopher Irvine quoted by Sibbald (1707) also speaks of the bend at 'Gallow Skye' (Macdonald 1934).

NS 9064 7954 to NS 9100 7955 Published course (OS 50 inch 1976) revised to conform with the natural fall of land from E to W. Also, the eastern stretch of Grahamsdyke Street appears to be slightly sunken, suggesting center of road is on Ditch-line; a crack in the NW gable end of garage may emphasise this. Dip in wall at NS 9068 7954 still shows and is probably relevant.

NS 9068 7954 Dip in stone wall marks line of Ditch (Macdonald 1934).

NS 9100 7954 to NS 9114 7955 Slight alignment change at NS 9113 7955 is consistent with topography, although the published line westwards has been modified to follow a more natural contour and conform to the probably significant course of Grahamsdyke Street from NS 9079 7954 to NS 9079 7954.

NS 9112 7954 Cracked walls and gables on the S side of Grahamsdyke Street indicate the line of the Ditch, while the Wall was exposed in two gardens some 130yds apart (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9114 7955 to NS 9150 7954 Marked slump of roadside wall at NS 9123 7954 is significant, but elsewhere on S side of street no evidence of subsidence found.

NS 9143 7954 The track of the wall, plainly indicated by light-coloured banding along a ploughed field, was confirmed at two points by excavation (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9150 7954 to NS 9188 7950 There is no surface trace of Wall or Ditch between these coordinates. The published course (OS 50 inch 1968) has been corrected to agree with findings at NS 9165 7953, NS 9175 7953 and at NS 9184 7950, but the exact position of the Wall at NS 9175 7953 and NS 9165 7953 is still in doubt. Excavation plans are not held with NMR.

NS 9165 7953 Section of Rampart exposed by excavation in 1958 (Steer 1963).

NS 9175 7953 Section of Rampart exposed by excavation in 1960 (Steer 1963).

NS 9184 7950 The course of the Wall, forming the N defenses of Mumrills fort, was established by excavation (see NS97NW 10)(Macdonald and Curle 1929).

NS 9188 7950 to NS 9202 7950 Course of Wall determined during excavations at Mumrills fort (Macdonald 1915).

Published course (OS 50 inch 1967) of Wall and position of fort both modified on re-examination of evidence at NS 9188 7950 to NS 9200 7950 and data of NS97NW 10. For details of fort annexe and probable civilian settlement see NS97NW 10.

There is no surface trace of the Wall across an arable field.

NS 9202 7950 to NS 9208 7956 No trace across level, arable ground.

NS 9206 7953 Wall located by trenching but the remains and direction become increasingly vague from SW to NE (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9210 7958 to NS 9217 7960 A continuation of the significant course revision. The Ditch line is clearly defined by the modern road which is sunken, and a return to the established course at NS 9202 7950 is shown by a slight dip in the hedgerow at NS 9208 7956.

NS 9217 7960 to NS 9231 7958 Significant revision to published course (OS 50 inch 1972) based on evidence at NS 9221 7956, NS 9225 7961 and ground observation.

This deep cutting which carries the modern road must be an old hollow-way greatly enlarged from original Ditch remains, and from his description, this was recognized as such by Horsley (1732). It seems Macdonald falsely assumed that Horsley refers to the narrow valley ascending the Braes (at NS 9212 7953 to NS 9225 7950)(Macdonald 1934).

The S side of the road-cutting forms the optimum position for the Ditch line, being on the N crest of a sharp rise, and any course to the S, where Macdonald trenched in vain, is unlikely for purely topographic reasons.

NS 9221 7956 Trenching across this field proved entirely negative (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9225 7961 Wall very obscure east of Mumrills, except that the Ditch is 'very grand' about 5 chains west if Beancross (Horsley 1732).

NS 9231 7958 to NS 9250 7956 No surface trace across a level pasture field.

NS 9235 7967 A c.10ft (3m) length of Wall-base exposed (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9244 7956 The Wall base was exposed by a sewer trench in 1973 (on published line), but the position of the Ditch was not established (Keppie 1978)

NS 9250 7956 to NS 9291 7950 The entire course of the Wall within these co-ordinates has been destroyed by the construction of a road.

The findings at NS 9251 7956 and NS 9256 7956 add doubt to the validity of the published line (see also Keppie and Breeze 1982); but no viable alternative course can be construed that avoids the excavated areas.

NS 9251 7956 Inconclusive excavations in 1965 failed to locate traces of either Wall or Ditch (McCord 1982).

NS 9256 7956 Inconclusive excavations in 1965 failed to locate traces of either Wall or Ditch (McCord 1982).

NS 9291 7950 to NS 9300 7947 The entire course of the Wall within these co-ordinates has been destroyed by the construction of a road. From the supplies location trenches at NS 9294 7948 and NS 9296 7947 (OS and Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments archives) there is some doubt that these cut the accepted course of the Wall at any point, hence, the findings of NS 9292 7949 and the published course are still accepted. The resurveyed course of the Military Way at NS 9255 7950 is based on location measurements given by Macdonald. These re-align the published course which was slightly to the N (NS 9252 7950). No surface traces were found across a field of level pasture.

NS 9292 7949 Wall located about 100ft (30.5m) N from road along hedgeline about 1915 (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9294 7948 Inconclusive excavations at two points in 1965 failed to locate any trace of either Wall or Ditch (McCord 1982).

NS 9296 7947 Inconclusive excavations at two points in 1965 failed to locate any trace of either Wall or Ditch (McCord 1982).

NS 9300 7947 to NS 9348 7932 Wall destroyed by M 9 motorway.

NS 9305 7945 Wall-base well preserved. The hollow to the S may indicate the Military Way (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9310 7944 Stone foundation of Rampart found by excavation across Polmont Park (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9314 7942 Wall-base found on OS line (Steer 1963).

NS 9334 7936 Stone foundation of Rampart found by excavation across Polmont Park (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9343 7932 The curious curve was verified by excavation (Macdonald 1915).

NS 9348 7932 to NS 9350 7933 Amorphous linear depression indicates line of Ditch. Course of Wall as shown on OS 1:1250 1970 modified on evidence of NS 9348 7932.

NS 9348 7932 The Wall foundations were traced to the point where the Rampart leaves the crest of the knoll. No evidence of a fortlet was found. The course shown on the OS map (1:1250 1954) was not quite accurate. The course shown by Macdonald was verified (Macdonald 1915; Steer 1963).

NS 9350 7933 to NS 9370 7934 Towards the W an amorphous linear depression indicates the line of the Ditch. Course modified on the evidence at NS 9350 7932, NS 9354 7933 and NS 9365 7933.

NS 9350 7932 Kerbed base 15ft (4.6m) wide, excavated 20ft (6.1m) W of cemetery wall (Steer 1963).

NS 9354 7933 The Wall-base is virtually intact about 2ft (0.6m) below the surface, and 120ft (37m) S of the road (Macdonald 1934).

NS 9365 7933 Metalling uncovered in c.1920 about 4ft below surface. Information from : G Copeland, Church Officer, June 1950) (Information from OS June 1950).

NS 9370 7934 to NS 9394 7934 No trace across regularly cultivated ground. The Ditch was visible in 1957 as a 3m broad, 0.4m deep hollow (OS aerial photograph (68/119 frame no. 006). The cottage at NS 9372 7934 had been demolished by 1957 (Information from OS 1957).

NS 9372 7934 Cracks in the S gable of a cottage E of road (Macdonald 1934).

NS 9394 7936 to NS 9400 7933 The much spread and ragged Ditch, up to 20m broad and 1.5m deep, is located in dense woodland.

NS 9400 7933 to NS 9409 7931 The well defined Ditch, c. 15m wide and 2m deep, gradually spreads and fades as it descends steep hillslope. No trace of Rampart.

NS 9409 7931 to NS 9427 7931 A 13.5m wide terrace with a low spread bank on the S side indicates the line.

NS 9427 7931 to NS 9490 7951 The line of the Rampart has been ploughed out. Amorphous traces of the Ditch can still be seen crossing the golf course, but all vestiges north of the new reservoir have been destroyed. The exact line is not in doubt however; from the 1st edition of the OS 2 and a half inch (Stirlingshire 1862, sheet 31/2) to 2 and a half inch 1955 show slight but coherent remains and the entire line is clearly evident on RAF vertical aerial photograph (106G/ SCOT/ UK10, frame no 5047-8, 1946).

NS 9490 7951 to NS 9500 7957 Ditch well defined but much spread, c. 20m wide and up to 1.5m deep.

NS 9498 7955 The Wall-base was found in the middle of this field, and near the E boundary was 15ft 6in (4.7m) broad. West of this point the Ditch is plainly visible until the crossing of Millhall Burn (NS 9391 7935) (Macdonald 1915)

Information from OS 1980

R Sibbald 1707; J Horsley 1732; W Roy 1793; G Macdonald 1915; G Macdonald and A O Curle 1929; G Macdonald 1934; D M Hunter 1953; K A Steer 1963; L J F Keppie 1978; L J F Keppie and D J Breeze 1982; N McCord 1982.

NS 904 795 to NS 906 795 In June and November 1981, the Wall and Military Way were traced by probing and supplimented by trenching from the embankment of the Edinburgh-Falkirk (Grahamstown) railway to the Callendar Park College lodge and were shown to follow a line different to that on current OS maps. The Wall was 4.5m wide and constructed of sandstone kerbs with a core of cut sandstone and natural cobbles and a superstructure of earth revetted by narrow turf cheeks 0.3m wide or slightly more.

L J F Keppie and J J Walker 1990; N B Rankov 1982.

NS 9078 7955 The fill of the Ditch was noted during the laying of a sewer pipe under the N carriageway of the A803. The fill was a grey silty clay and had been much disturbed by service trenches. The location places the Ditch slightly further S than previously conjectured.

G Bailey 1989.

Scheduled with NS97NW 10, NS97NW 29, NS97NW 45, NS97NW 46.10 as 'Antonine Wall, Mumrills fort, Sandy Loan to A905, Falkirk' [includes Antonine Wall from NS 9180 7951 to NS 9246 7956).

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 13 June 2001.

NS 9099 7951 In May 1999 an excavation was carried out by the Falkirk Museum Service in the north-west corner of Mary Square, Laurieston in advance of the construction of sheltered housing by the Key Housing Association Ltd.

The street plan indicated that Grahamsdyke Street was an existing road at the time that the village was laid out in 1764 and that it therefore lay on the Outer Mound of the Antonine Wall.

The purpose of the excavation was to establish the line of the Ditch. Although it was reasonable to assume that the Rampart itself would have been eradicated and the stone base used as a quarry for the village, it was hoped that, as well as the Ditch, other negative features of the Roman period, such as the defensive pits on the Berm, might survive.

The Ditch was easily located at the northern end of the site. Cleaning the upper levels produced a number of reduced green glazed wares, indicating that filling it had been completed in the 18th century. The southern edge of the Ditch showed that the alignment followed that of Grahamsdyke Street before its alteration in the 1960s. The Ditch was at least 6m wide. The lower levels, which will be sealed beneath the car park in the new development, were not excavated.

2.3m south of the Ditch edge was the first of ten surviving defensive pits. They had been arranged in the conventional quincunx pattern and varied from 0.03 to 0.2m deep. At least three rows are represented by the ten pits, but the shallowness of their remains made it difficult to determine their true alignment, and further rows to the south could have been totally obliterated.

There is no trace of the stone base of the Rampart. A cut-line in the main section on the west, 13m south of the lip of the Ditch, may represent the heel of a robber trench, dug to quarry the stone for use elsewhere. No similar cut was discerned in the eastern section.

At a distance of 19m south of the Ditch, the northern edge of a gravel road was found almost on the same alignment (see NS97NW 46.10). The location suggested this to have been the Military Way.

Early features including several gullies and shallow pits may represent pre-Roman structure and perhaps demolished by the Romans.

G B Bailey 2002

A Dunwell, G Bailey, A Leslie and A Smith 2002.

NS97NW 46.02 9043 7952

As a result of roadworks an 11m section of the Antonine Ditch was completely excavated. The V-shaped ditch had sides 43 degrees with a narrow slot in the base. It was 8.2m wide, V-shaped and attained a depth of 4.3m. Some 10.7m to the S lay the remanants of the stone base of the Wall. The berm contained two gullies of unknown date or function and four shallow pits which may have been truncated remains of defensive pits. To the S of the Wall base three further pits were irregularly dug.

The levelled remains of the upcast mound were also examined. It was c.11m wide and survived to a height of 0.7m. It seems probable that a gravel layer on top of the mound represented the medieval highway from Linlithgow to Falkirk. Below the mound was a pre-Roman cultivation soil.

Sponsors: Falkirk Museum, Central Regional Council, Historic Scotland

G Bailey 1990; S S Frere 1991.

NS97NW 46.03 924 795.

In September 1994 a four-day watching brief was carried out during the excavation of new drainage channels associated with the Laurieston by-pass at Beancross where these crossed the scheduled area associated with the Antonine Wall. Part of a post-medieval stone culvert was found running towards the Roman ditch. This would have taken effluent from Beancross village and deposited it in the ditch. A layer of peat running W to E delineated the northern edge of the upcast mound associated with the digging of that ditch. The deposits generally indicated the waterlogged nature of the area since the Roman period. No Roman levels were encountered.

Sponsor: Central Consultancy (CRC).

G B Bailey 1994e.

NS 924 796 In 1987, a 1.8m wide trench, dug on the site of the earlier work by Buchanan and Smith (Macdonald 1915), recorded the Wall base 4.3m wide and well preserved with both kerbs surviving. The Wall base lay some 0.35m below the present ground surface, preserving only 0.08m of the Roman levels above the stone base. The area above the core consisted of grey clay-loam containing from one to three distinct bands of red-brown soil, interpreted as the turf block structure of the rampart. This is only the second time that turfwork has been found in the core of the rampart in the 9 miles of the Wall E of Watling Lodge (Keppie 1974).

G Macdonald 1915; L J F Keppie 1974; L J F Keppie, G B Bailey, A J Dunwell, J H McBrien and K Speller 1995.

NS97NW 46.05 9237 7957

Trenching located the wall at this location, as it descends E to the Westquarter Burn; the wall was just over 4.3m wide and curved S in a shallow re-entrant, 8 degrees off line, for the crossing. In one trench the stone foundation was 0.46m thick (3 layers of stone), having been terraced to a level bottom 0.2m below the kerbstones; the wall itself consisted of a turf core netween clay cheeks. The ditch lay 5m to the N. Presumably because of periodic flooding it was formed of a central ditch only 2.5m wide and 1.2m deep between flat shelves dug only to a little over 0.5m.

S S Frere 1988.

NS97NW 46.08 9265 7950

NS 9265 7950 An archaeological watching brief was carried out at the site of a proposed Brewers Fayre and Travel Inn, near Falkirk. The development area lay on the route of the Antonine Wall, remnants of which were seen at the western edge during the excavation of a trench for a drain. No remains of the Antonine Wall were seen during the watching brief.

Sponsor: Ogilvie Construction.

A Duffy 1999.

NS 9265 7950 In June 1999 an evaluation was undertaken on the site of a proposed Brewers Fayre and Travel Inn, near Falkirk. The proposed development lay on the route of the Antonine Wall, remnants of which were seen within the development area at its western edge during the excavation of a trench for a drain (see NS97NW 46.04). The three trenches, each 2m wide and totalling 76m in length, were oriented roughly N/S, at right angles to the adjacent A905 road. No physical evidence of the Rampart, Ditch or Military Way was noted during evaluation. The absence of the Ditch is of particular interest as, given the large size of this feature, it seems highly unlikely that its absence can be explained in terms of lack of preservation. The possibility that it was never present here can be countenanced.

A Duffy 2002

A Dunwell, G Bailey, A Leslie, A Smith 2002.

NS97NW 46.09 AW formerly RRX 505 904 795 to 906 795.

A small excavation was undertaken on the line of the Antonine Wall in the field opposite to West Beancross Farm in order to establish with certainty the course of the Wall prior to the construction of the Laurieston Bypass. The Wall was found to be in good condition with the ditch 5m to the N. Unusually, the rampart superstructure was composed of clay cheeks with a turf core.

G B Bailey 1987.

[NS 93718 79332 to NS 93907 79352]. Length scheduled as 'Antonine Wall, 75m ESE of Craigellachie.'

(Scheduling number 9721).

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 26 November 2009.

[NS c. 94966 79655 to NS c. 95245 79784]. Length scheduled with fortlet (NS97NE 21.01) and middens (NS97NE 18) as 'Antonine Wall, fort and shell middens 240m WSW of The Tower, Inveravon... a stretch of the Antonine Wall and a Roman fort surviving as buried remains ... [with]... a large cluster of mesolithic shell middens.'

[Location map supplied: see also NS97NE 21.00].

Information from Historic Scotland, scheduling document dated 25 June 2010.