Caddrounburn Culvert

NY59NE 4 from 5800 9864 to 5815 9846.

(NY 5800 9864 - NY 5815 9846) CATRAIL (NR)

OS 6" map (1923)

Indeterminate Remains, Caddrounburn Culvert. From a point on the railway 250 yds. SW of the Caddroun Burn, a ditch-like depression runs NW for some 270 yds. It is 35 ft. wide near the railway but expands as it mounts the hillside to about 50 ft.; it is about 3 ft. deep, the bottom being somewhat hollowed, and there is a greatly-spread spoil-bank on the NE side. A trench which has recently been cut across the ditch shows that its sides are lined with drystone masonry, now considerably tumbled.

The edition of the OS map published in 1899 marks the remains as extending downhill, on the SE side of the railway, as far as the settlement (RCAHMS 1956 No.97); but this ground is wet and broken, and nothing can be seen today beyond a slight hollow which appears to continue their line.

The mistaken idea that the Catrail (Appendix D) ran on beyond Robert's Linn Bridge to Liddesdale and Peel Fell (G Chalmers 1887) has no doubt drawn some support from the existence of these remains, as well as from that of an old road (Appendix B) which appears nearby, but in fact the depression bears no resemblance to the Catrail, and may well be simply a wide roadway, originally flanked by low drystone walls, intended to give passage to cattle through cultivated ground. What is probably another such passageway is mentioned under No.62. (ROXB. 38 NW 2)

RCAHMS 1956, visited 1945.

The remains of the 'catrail' on this sheet (as marked on the first edition OS 6 inch (Roxburgh 1925, sheet 36 SW) seem to me to be merely hollow ways. An air-photo could disentangle the various ditches and gullies. On the ground it is difficult and would take longer than they are worth."

Rec 6 inch (O G S Crawford 2 July 1934 Pro)

S.H.ILES, no date (Rec 6 inch).

"Probable Black Dyke."(refers to 'Catrail' as published by OS)

Revision ONB, no date (Selkirk 8 NW);

J H Craw

S.H.ILES, no date (Rec 6 inch).

"This is merely a stretch of old road."

Ps 1 inch (K A Steer 13 Oct 1953)

D J Gamble 18 Nov 1953 (Rec 6 inch)

Information from OS (DT) 31 Oct 1957.

This feature is simply a hollow way probably intended to give passage to cattle through cultivated ground.

It is c.13m broad and c.1m deep. There are traces of a spoil bank on the NE side. The hollow can be traced lass well-defined on the S side of the disused railway running to the NE angle of the larger enclosure of site NY59NE 2).

Information from OS (MD) 6 Oct 1960.

Earlier reports suggest that the Catrail ran for about 9km from Peel Fell to Roberts Linn (NT 5385 0262) via the Wormscleuch (NY 596 996), Liddel, Dawtson (NY 575 993) and Cliffhope (NY 563 999) valleys. The only definite linear earthwork now visible on this line is an indeterminate fragment at Caddrounburn Culvert (NY59NE 4). As the RCAHMS (1956) survey points out, the topography of the steep-sided Roberts Linn forms a convenient natural break to its course here.

Information from J Milln, in J Barber 1999.