The Street

NT81NW 92 from 80516 19479 to 84869 15343

NT 805 195 to NT 834 150 The Street has a dual-road component not previously reported that can be traced from NT 805 195 at the head of the Hall Burn for almost 6km to NT 834 150 on the ridge of the Cheviots. Survey was discontinued at the border.

From NT 805 195 two well-built roads 2.5m wide climb the face of the Berry Hills on to Craig Moor at NT 808 185. The roads are well graded by terracing, cutting and banking and are generally separated by 20m to 50m. A short length at NT 807 187 where the two roads share a 5m wide terrace, and two parallel deep cuttings with banked approaches through a natural ridge at NT 808 186 evidence the contemporaneity of the two roads.

From Craig Moor SE to the Cheviot ridge the dual roads are both 5m wide and contour with minimal gradients, generally 50m to 100m downslope NE of the skein of hollow-ways and the more recent metalled carriage-way that more obviously comprise The Street.

For about 1km NT 830 168 to NT 836 158 the dual roads run side by side on a shallow 10m wide terrace with a central step but elsewhere may run separately. There is generally about 0.3m of peat overgrown.

W Lonie 1988.

Climbing the generally moderate to moderately steep W side of Craik Moor from the linear earthwork (NT81NW 1) in the saddle between that hill and The Kip, there are the rutted and braided traces of a major route-way through the hills. As the track re-enters the survey area (at NT 8100 1824) over the gentle slopes of the saddle between the Craik Moor plateau on the N, and Blackborough Hill to the S, the hollow-ways merge to form a single 7m wide track which is up to 0.5m deep. The track continues SE for some 200m where it is joined by a second route-way climbing into the hills from the W (at NT 8107 1810).

The merged route-ways continue SE, dropping down, over a generally moderate slope, to the saddle between Craik Moor and Calroust Common. At this strategic juncture the narrow neck of ground between the hills is controlled by a series of three linear, cross-dyke earthworks (NT81NW 35, of which only the central earthwork (NT81NW 35.01) may be assumed to be primarily associated with The Street (the relationship between the earthworks and The Street is discussed in detail under NT81NW 35). As The Street drops down on to the saddle, and climbs out, over a moderately steep slope to the S, the route again becomes braided only to merge again as it passes the NE end of the southernmost linear earthwork. Here, The Street appears to be constrained to skirt around the barrier and follow a narrow route above the steep slopes overlooking the headwaters of the Swingingside Burn. Released from this constraint, as it climbs the moderate slopes onto Calroust Common, the route becomes braided once more. Several of the more westerly branches disperse onto the high common where they peter out. Evidently The Street not only served 'cross-Border' traffic but also local trans-humant farming regimes utilising the high common ground of the hills.

The Street continues SE, dropping down, over a gentle slope from Calroust Common to the narrow neck between it and Mid Hill where it passes through another earthwork (NT81NW 42). Again, perhaps surprisingly, the track is seen to braid as it climbs the gentle slopes on the N side of Mid Hill. Two main alignments pass through the earthwork; that on the W is contained within a 9m wide gap beyond which several of the tracks diverge onto the summit of Mid Hill where they disperse in a similar manner to those observed on Calroust Common. The remainder merge again with those passing through the more substantial 19m break to the E. After passing through the earthwork the braided courses merge again on the gentle slopes just off the summit ridge to the S. The Street adopts a route to the E side of the summit ridge as it continues SE to the next saddle. From just N of the earthwork, a march dyke follows the line of The Street.

The Street continues, on the gentle slopes crowning the summit ridge and the watershed around the head of both the Inner and Outer Hare Cleuchs. At Gunner's Well (NT 8287 1618), above the Inner Hare Cleuch, The Street turns towards the SE, reflecting the topography of The Border ridge. Between the Inner and Outer Hare Cleuchs, The Street wanders down over the steep NE-facing hillside forming a series of terraces up to 6m wide. Above the Outer Hare Cleuch, the moderate slope between the head of the watercourse and The Street is closed off by a linear earthwork (NT81NW 36). From here, The Street continues S across the moderate NE-facing slopes of Monzie Law and Plea Knowe and above the headwaters of Belshaws Burn. Above The Nicks (NT 8359 1548) the dyke following The Street is joined by a second march dyke from the SW and, together they continue E along The Border ridge. Significantly, The Border does not adopt this feature, but follows an undefined route across Foul Step and may reflect an alignment of The Street. At the cairn at the S end of Windy Rig (NT81NW 58, NT 8488 1534) both The Street and the trackway complex climbing the watershed between the Calroust and Bowmont valleys merge. From here the route continues along the narrow Border ridge, with steep descents on both the Scottish and English sides, breaking through (in at least its latest alignments) through a pair of linear earthworks (NT81NE 20 and NT81NE 20) controlling the neck of ground and thence S to England.

Information from RJ Mercer (University of Edinburgh) 17 March 1986

RCAHMS MS 2598. No. 41/547