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Castlecraig

Temporary Camp (Roman)

Site Name Castlecraig

Classification Temporary Camp (Roman)

Canmore ID 50107

Site Number NT14SW 37

NGR NT 1250 4450

NGR Description Centred NT 1250 4450.

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/50107

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Scottish Borders, The
  • Parish Kirkurd
  • Former Region Borders
  • Former District Tweeddale
  • Former County Peebles-shire

Archaeology Notes

NT14SW 37 centred 1250 4450.

(NT 124 444) Air reconnaissance by Dr J K St Joseph has revealed a large Roman temporary camp at Castlecraig on uneven ground beside the main Roman road from Newstead to Castledykes. Long sectors of both NW and SE sides, and a short length of the ditch on the SW side are now established. Two gates, each within a titulum, have been noted in the NW side by St Joseph, whilst the RCAHMS record another in the SE side. The dimensions are 1070' NW-SE by at least 1720', a minimum area of 42 acres. The long narrow shape reflects the narrow ridge on which the camp is set; should the shape prove to be as long as Kirkbuddo, the area may be 60 acres.

A second camp , placed so as to occupy the highest ground, lies within the other. 500' to the SW and NW sides have been noted, and the ditch on the NW converges gradually with that of the larger camp, the two lines meeting at a gate which seems to have served both.

J K St Joseph 1965; RCAHMS 1967, visited 1965; J K St Joseph 1969.

There are no visible surface remains of either this camp.

Visited by OS (SFS) 7 November 1974.

Activities

Watching Brief (21 December 2009)

NT 1244 4437 A watching brief was undertaken on 21 December 2009 during the machine cleaning of a pre-stripped area prior to the construction of a house. The site was considered of interest as it sits within a Roman

marching camp (NT14SW 37) and close to a number of prehistoric sites. The stripping of a 23 x 10m area removed the final 0.2–0.4m of topsoil and revealed the underlying undisturbed glaciofluvial deposits. No archaeological finds or deposits were recorded.

Report: RCAHMS and Scottish Borders SMR (intended)

Funder: Tinto Construction Ltd

Alistair Robertson – Headland Archaeology Ltd

Publication Account (17 December 2011)

The two intersecting camps at Castlecraig by Kirkurd lie close to the line of the Roman road between Castledykes and Lyne/Easter Happrew and not far from the road running up the east side of the Pentland Hills. They are sited on undulating land below Galloberry Wood. Both were discovered as cropmarks by St Joseph from the air: the first in 1964 and the second four years later (1965: 79; 1969: 108).

Only part of the perimeter of each camp is known. Camp I, the larger of the two, measures at least 525m from south-west to north-east by 332m transversely, enclosing at least 17ha (42 acres) and possibly some 21.1ha (52 acres). A titulus is visible in the south-east side, and two are visible in the north-west side. A number of linear cropmarks confuse the south-west side of the camp, and no entrance is clearly discernable on this side. One cropmark has an additional enclosure attached, but this does not appear to be an annexe and does not look Roman in form.

A second camp (Castlecraig II) is partially recorded on a slight knoll within camp I.

The visible part of the north-west side lies at a slight angle to the that of camp I, and the two camps come together at the entrance gap, protected by two tituli, presumably one for each camp. Some 150m of the southwest side of this camp is visible, with an entrance gap and titulus two-thirds of the way along this side. Of the northwest side, 111m up to the titulus is known; beyond this, the camp may have used the north-west perimeter of camp I, but this is unknown.

If the known gate on the north-west side represents the centre of that side, then the camp’s cross dimension would be 220m, suggesting that it enclosed at least 3.3ha(8.2 acres), and, given the location of the other entrance and the topography, may have enclosed some 4.3ha (10.7 acres). A number of linear cropmarks are visible to the south-east, but none can be confidently assigned to the camp.

The denuded remains of a stone circle survive within camp I’s perimeter (RCAHMS 1967: 63), and the cropmark remains of a settlement are visible within both camps alongside a probable palisaded enclosure, which overlaps the perimeter of camp II.

R H Jones

Sbc Note

Visibility: This site is visible as a cropmark.

Information from Scottish Borders Council

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