Knockhill Summerhouse
Altar (Roman)
Site Name Knockhill Summerhouse
Classification Altar (Roman)
Alternative Name(s) Hoddom Castle; Birrens
Canmore ID 66712
Site Number NY17SE 45
NGR NY 166 740
NGR Description NY c. 166 740
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/66712
- Council Dumfries And Galloway
- Parish Hoddom
- Former Region Dumfries And Galloway
- Former District Annandale And Eskdale
- Former County Dumfries-shire
NY17SE 45 c. 166 740
For cross-fragments found in the summerhouse, see NY17SE 64.
Cross fragments and inscribed stones, Knockhill. Built into a wall of a summerhouse in the grounds of Knockhill House were, until lately, several fragments of the Celtic cross type and two inscribed stones apparently from the Roman station at Birrens (NY27NW 4.00). They have now been released from this position, and, whatever their final destination, are meantime carefully preserved.
No. 1 is the pedestal of an altar to Fortune, and is 11 ins (279mm) by about 14 ins (356mm) broad. The inscription is partly obliterated, but can be restored to read (trans.): 'To Fortune, Celer a freedman, for the safety of Publius Campanus, an Italian, prefect of the second cohort of the Tungri, gladly, willingly, deservedly [dedicated this altar]'. This stone came from Birrens, as also did the memorial stone to Afutianus that is referred to in the article on that station (Inventory no. 462).
RCAHMS 1920, visited 15 September 1915.
Some of the stones and fragments from the Knockhill summerhouse are preserved at Dumfries Museum, but the finer pieces were tragically buried under the E drive at Hoddom Castle (NY17SE 1.00) during its occupation by the army in the Second World War. According to the testimony of Water Bell, who actually drove the road roller, the Pioneer Corps delivered a lorry load of stones, including 'stones bearing strange symbols and writing', and these were used to add about a yard to the N side of the drive prior to the arrival of a vast number of Churchill tanks. The carved stones were buried 'about 150 yards before the drawbridge'.
A M T Maxwell-Irving 1988.
Inscribed pedestal for a statuette of Fortune, part of which remains. Found in or before 1771 at Birrens; drawn by R G Collingwood at Knockhill 1928.
R G Collingwood and R P Wright 1995.
The description of the site of burial of the stones may indicate a location at NY c. 1565 7283.
Information from RCAHMS (RJCM), 11 December 1996.
Hoddom Castle, inscriptions and sculptures. Probably from Birrens.
RCAHMS 1997.
